Hinata's Teenage Life
by BloodyPinkRose
Summary: FIN!Hinata, a girl that happens to be well acquainted with the colour red and unable to get anything right!Itachi, a boy that has a devil-may-care-but-if-you-ask-again-I'll-bring-out-the-hose-pipe attitude. Can they make it? Can they even start it?
1. New Friends

Bloodystereo - Heya everyone this was my first ever fic on this site a few years ago (of course I had been skulking for a lot longer) I am about to upload the last three or so chapters that have been vamped (I know right like two years I'm finally done) Of course I really did just want to scrap this whole idea as my writing has improved a LOT since 2007 however I have feelings for this little babe so it staying. Sooo without much ado I hope you enjoy this little number . . . Don't own Naruto obviously.

* * *

Chapter One: New Friends

"Hinata Hyuuga, what the fuck do you think you're playing at? Get off your ass and get studying, you have tests tomorrow and I haven't seen you even pick up a book! Where is my coffee I asked for it five minutes ago, did you get the mail in yet? Did you finish the ironing? Why haven't I got my coffee yet?" Hirashi Hyuuga yelled.

He was her father, a normally rational man when he was in a good mood; otherwise he was a cruel hateful man, with eyes ice cold like steel. He banged his hand on the table, the awful sound echoing around the room and causing the poor over worked girl to jump ten feet into the air. She was a jumpy little thing but with a father like hers, she just couldn't curb the habit.

Hinata was a pushed child, one of two, the older and the one that was always punished. How could one revise for important tests, get coffee, the mail and do the washing up as told, she even managed to forget the ironing as well. She still had a checklist her mother had left behind for her to complete and she hadn't even started on it.

"Y-Yes s-sir, o-one m-moment!" she whispered, her pale irises focusing on the washing bowl, she was ashamed of herself. She knew that the treatment she got wasn't normal but she was powerless to do anything to stop it. She wanted her parents to be proud of her, as they were her younger sister, she didn't want to hate Hanabi.

"Don't you sweet talk me girl! Stop that and do as I asked, your sister would have done all that and ran me a bath by the time it has taken you to wash a few dishes!" her father snorted, despite the "few plates" he was talking about was really mountains of plates from the party they had had the night before.

It was when her mother come home that the shit _really_hit the fan! Her mother come home flustered from a day of work, she dashed in saw the mountain of plates and utensils from the dinner and let loose on a tangent. She didn't expect to come home to a messy house after she had specially asked that it should be cleaned so that she wasn't stressed when she got home from her meeting.

Hinata was slapped for that, there was no need to add to that, describe it or plead against it. She was slapped, end of. When she finally scraped herself off the floor and went up to bed she allowed herself a tear or two. What happened to her wasn't abuse per se ... the law didn't say you couldn't chastise your children, her parents never used their fists or a belt or anything, they just slapped her. Hard yes and it stung but it was never for just being alive or anything, it was because she needed to be punished because she hadn't done what she had been told to do.

The thoughts crossed her mind once more, why the hell did she put up with it. There was a whole world out there, she had cousins and people that would take care of her if she needed it. Neji and Tia and other members, they wouldn't turn her away. Her parents were strict and unjust and they always threatened that they would kick her out, why shouldn't she just leave, maybe then they would see how much she did for them. For nothing too!

It took a while of planning, doing odd jobs at local shops, she got in trouble for being late a few times but she got the little money that she needed to get away. When she was sure everyone was asleep she didn't even bother to pack clothes, she didn't want to be reminded of a life that no one should be proud of. She took as much money as she could find and she left without a second thought.

She didn't worry for her sister, she knew that they would take of her, after all she was the favoured child. She got as far as she could into the night and then as she passed a park she hadn't seen before she stopped to catch her breath. She knew of a shelter she could stay at for the night and from there she could catch a ride to the city of Konoha, for that was where her aunty and her cousin lived and she knew they would help her if need be.

It was a major city in a Continent called Hidden, found in the South Pacific Ocean, it was a well known tourist place, a peaceful neutral place where almost anyone could seek a place to stay. Konoha was one of the best places in Hidden for the land was good there and the weather almost always sunny.

She wasn't stupid and she knew that until she was willing to go to her aunt and cousin she was going to see many a cruel thing and have to do morally wrong things but she wasn't going to be afraid. She was going to show that she wasn't weak and she could get through this!

* * *

Neji was lounging around when he heard the house phone go off, he never answered the phone, he didn't care much for hearing a family member jabber off in his ear, normally all they had to say was something cruel and hurtful. If anyone wanted him they wanted to talk to him they could call his cell number, otherwise they could jump off a cliff.

The seventeen year old hung around the phone. Just because he didn't want to answer it didn't mean he didn't want to know who and what was going on in the family that they felt they would contact them. His mother and himself were outcasts in the family it really sickened him how they had been cast out in a moment of need.

Ever since his father and his brother passed, the two had taken his mother's Maiden name Hyuga, from the branch family and they hadn't had much contact from the family members at all. Much to the hurt of his mother, he didn't really give a crap, they disowned the two, they would be the ones who were missing out.

His mother glared at him before pushing past to answer the phone, she gasped and dropped the phone, then she picked it up and spoke panicked and quickly into the phone before putting it down and running into the living room to shrug on her coat and grab her purse. Neji trailed in after her curiously,

"Stop moosing around Neji, Hinata has run away, it is so unlike her that your _dear_aunt has the whole family out looking for her. I'm going out to look for her now; you know how that bastard father of hers discards her sweet innocent nature. When you're out with your friends keep an eye out!" Tia rushed before grabbing her bag, kissing his brow and running out the room. Then she ran back it, "And for heavens sake Neji don't ignore her if you see her when out with your friends, who knows what she would have been through, she has been missing for a while now!" then she turned and ran out again.

The next thing he heard was the low rumble of his mother's convertible Porsche before he was doused in silence.

Neji blinked and tried to pull together everything that his mother had told him. She had that awful habit of speed talking someone before whirling out the room like a twister. He wouldn't be surprised if one day he was told he had lost half his brain cells from having to deal with it on a day to day basis.

On the other hand he didn't know what was on his cousin's mind, she was always the happy, shy, timid, I'll-kiss-your-ass kinda person. Sure he suspected something when he saw how strangely red her face was, it was almost swollen. He pointed it out and she panicked so much that he didn't think it was just any allergy.

Neji shrugged, he would deal with it later, he left the large manor like house and armed it after him. Walking down to the gates, he signalled to the gate sensor before meeting his friends on the other side of the gate.

Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Tiara and Ino were waiting for him, the girls were arguing about the next fittest guy and the guys were having a cigarette break. They smiled at him and the group set off walking down the street.

Tenten and Neji were the oldest of the group; they were both seventeen whilst the others were sixteen. It was an interesting age to say the least. Sakura turned to Sasuke, the two of them were going out, they had been for quite the while.

"Where's Itachi?" she asked and he sighed and glared at her. The pinkette was really considerate but she always poked her nose in the one place he didn't want her to poke it. As far as he was concerned he didn't have an older brother. However she constantly asked about him.

"Where do you think? In his room blasting his music and giving me a goddamn headache!" he grumbled, "I don't see why Tia even tried to help the ungrateful asshole. Anyone who tried to help him just got flipped off through the window. They didn't even get to see his ungrateful face"

The group fell into an uncomfortable silence as they walked down the road, it just happened to be empty because it was the estate of a high salary to put it nicely. The group had marked it their territory seeing as they all had a house on the estate somewhere.

They stopped when they saw a girl wondering up the road, they hadn't seen someone their age come up the road in a while, all the houses were taken up so they knew she wasn't a newbie. Families warned any visitors to stay off the road so they guessed she was just a stupid groupie from another gang.

She looked a lot like Neji, should length hair, pale eyes. Neji noticed her straight away, he whispered his name and it carried in the wind. His girlfriend, a greenette sixteen year old by the name Tiara opened her big mouth.

She really had to work on that.

"**Oi,**Bitch, what the hell do you think you're doing here, you don't belong here" she shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth to make the sound carry further. The rest of the group looked shocked when the girl looked up. That really was Hinata and they all knew her except Tiara.

Neji didn't look happy but because he didn't make a move to stop her they didn't bother to say anything either. Neji led them to walk past her but Tiara wouldn't budge, she had started something and she wasn't going to back down just because the group wasn't going to support her.

"Hey _bitch ;_can't you understand what I'm saying to you? Get the hell out of our neighbourhood!" she yelled and Hinata looked up, her face burning red, she hadn't noticed her cousin, too taken by her sudden rage. She couldn't help but comment on this green bimbo's outfit; she might as well have gone out naked for the deal her clothes covered.

The others hadn't seen the normally timid girl so angry before and they had all met her prior to this.

"Hey _slut! _Why don't you go fuck somebody and leave me the hell alone!" she shouted back before walking past being sure to hit Tiara in the side as she past. The greeneete smirked and looked her up and down, not only did she smell weird she wasn't exactly 'dressed' either. At least Tiara, while her clothes weren't covering much, they were clothes.

"Rather be a slut than one night stand run away, what's up did you forget your clothes somewhere dear? No one would pay for you looking like that and smelling like yesterday's trash!" she grinned.

"Ouch!" Naruto muttered under his breath

"Crash and burn!" Sasuke agreed and Sakura punched him in the arm annoyed.

Tiara did have a point, the girl was wearing a knee length skirt that was ripped up one side and her top was see through because of the rain the night before. Hinata lost it; she was tired, hungry and hurting. She had been on her feet for two nights, the shelter had been full and despite her normal appearance there, they couldn't help her so she wondered the streets not comfortable to settle in the park or the street side.

"I'll show you one night stand run away you fucking **TWAT!**" she yelled lunging at her, after managing to punch her in the face Sasuke decided that was enough and he held her back, Hinata continued to howl in anger as she struggled against Sasuke.

She was ready to kill that wad of grass look alike.

Neji decided he should be making himself known; he walked over to his cousin and tilted her head up, "What are you doing here? Why did you run away? Why are you dressed like that?" he asked, her eyes filled with tears and she came back to her timid self.

She snatched herself from Sasuke's grip turned around, kicked him below the belt and threw her fists to the side when she thought Sasuke and Neji would try and stop her, she sprinted down the road and hoped no one she knew ever had to see her act like that again.

"Who was that Neji?" Tiara asked, "She could have been your twin," she stated as if only just noticing, everyone sweat dropped, trust Tiara to only start questioning her own motives after she had acted on them.

"No one important lets go" Neji replied stoically walking away from the scene. The group followed him and soon they forgot all about the girl they had seen running for her life and freedom. Sakura took one last look in the direction Hinata went before she placed her best fake smile and continued after them. She was really concerned and she hoped the girl knew what she was doing, it was really dangerous.

* * *

Hinata walked around aimlessly for a while until she found a house that looked both vacant and easy to enter. She had been living like that since she left; these people had more money than brains that they didn't secure their houses well.

They wouldn't miss anything if she had a bit of bread or water from their taps, she was sure that she scrubbed everything down and made it look like nothing had moved before she moved on in her journey. She had come to her senses and decided to ask for help but as soon as she saw Neji she couldn't do it and after that, she just wanted to keep running.

She smiled softly when she saw the kind of house she was after; she slipped through the open gates and thanked her lucky stars when the door was already open. The house was so pretty, full of culture and she loved it.

In a way it reminded her of her own house but she knew she couldn't go back there. The house was definitely belonging to someone that was a part of a clan, she didn't care that it could have been a trap. She went into the kitchen and opened the fridge.

At the sudden noise of it opening penetrating the silence she stopped to listen out in case there were people in the house. When there was no response she rummaged through to see if there was anything drinkable and edible.

Most weren't to her taste, sucked in by her search she didn't notice the dark shadow walk behind the fridge and when she closed it she screamed before moving to dart back knowing all too well now she was in deep shit.

"What are you doing in here? Stealing drinks?" asked the person, he couldn't have been more than eighteen but he looked rather scary with all the shadows in the room. She did notice he had nice hair, looked silky; almost like a waterfall of water looking black from the dark sky.

She didn't know how long his hair could have been as it was tucked into a black and red duster- that happened to look more of a cloak it swamped him so much - he was wearing and also the mesh shirt he was wearing underneath the cloak, the long black flared trousers and chains added a nice touch. She wasn't into bondage clothing but it suited his lean frame.

Hinata looked into his seemingly black eyes immobilized by the lack of emotion dancing in them. He stared back waiting for an answer until she blushed, coming back to earth. She looked away ignoring the boy's cocked eyebrow.

"I was thirsty." she replied after a few minutes of silence and the boy looked confused for a brief moment.

"This isn't the super market." when she didn't answer he took it as meaning she was finding a way to attack or escape. When she tried to kick him in the balls like she did Sasuke he easily dodged and pulled her arm painfully behind her back and forced her into a chair.

He pulled a random rope out of one of his deep pockets and tied her up before seemingly gliding towards the tap and drawing a glass of water for her. Even he wasn't blind to see she was starting to look a little dehydrated in the sudden day heat, the night had been stormy and now it was sunny, what was next?

"Drink." he commanded forcing the cup to her lips, she watched him suspiciously before she smiled slightly and noisily drank the water when she finished and looked up at him, he was looking at her strangely before he placed the cup in the sink and stood in front of her; both arms hidden by his cloak.

Before he could start to question her the door opened and Sasuke walked in with Sakura flicking the light switch. Hinata knew the day couldn't get worse when she tested her bonds and found that she really couldn't move. This kid must have been a boy scot or something get make a knot like that.

"Hinata? What are you doing here? Wait ... why are you tied to the chair?" Sakura gasped rushing to her side and struggled to undo the bonds around her body. Sasuke looked at his brother suspiciously and leaned against the wall.

"It's a miracle, the great Itachi is out of his room and interrogating my friend's cousin." he stated dryly, Itachi looked amused, his brother seemed to think he was so tough, it really just humoured him, really it did.

"Well I was coming down to sharpen my knife so I could take a note out of your book and slash my wrists but I found this." he replied rolling his eyes and stepping around his brother's looming form.

"Hinata what is the matter with you? Where have you been? What would Neji say? And your parents too!" she said and Hinata looked frightened, she didn't know what she was going to do if anyone else found out.

"You can't tell him or anyone else! I'll leave, I promise I'll leave and get out of your lives!" she said quietly but quickly and Sakura looked confused, she wasn't going to let the raven haired girl leave. Not in this lifetime.

"Well of course we are going to tell Neji honey." she said and Hinata looked down.

"He'll tell my parents and I'll have to run away again." she said and Sakura put her hand on Hinata's shoulder in pity, when the pale eyes girl yelped in pain Itachi's mind worked overtime and he pieced together what was wrong with her.

"Who is punishing you?" he asked silkily, he wasn't stupid enough to ask who was abusing her, she would probably spook or clam up tight.

Hinata blanched

"No one? What kind of question is that?" she squeaked out and Itachi rolled his eyes, he wasn't believing that shit. He held her down and pulled her top down, where Sakura's hand had been was a nasty bruise in the shape of a large slap. Like someone had wanted to punish her but not mar her face,

Sakura gasped

Sasuke whistled

Hinata blanched more

"Please I swear, that was an accident when I was around in a house a box fell on my shoulder, why would anyone _punish_ me?" she asked, her breath quickening as she started hyperventilating. Itachi slapped his head in frustration and pulled a paper bag from inside his cloak, it was funny how many things he could fit in there.

Hinata would have questioned what else he had in his pant pockets and cloak if he had a reel of rope and a paper bag however she was too busy breathing in and out slowly, her eyes closed. They all watched her till her eyes opened and she seemed to be much more herself.

"Thank you, I won't cause any more trouble just let me leave. I don't want to go home and I don't want anyone to see me like this. That girl was right, I look like a tramp and a prostitute" Hinata admitted tearing up and Sakura patted her head to make sure she didn't touch another hidden bruise, hand mark thingy.

"Come on, you can come home to my place, I should have some clothes that fit you, you are a little smaller than me but that shouldn't be any problem." she smiled and Hinata looked away from the three glances.

"Sasuke don't just stand there, do you have a shirt or coat I can borrow to help her cover up then you can drive us to my house and we'll figure something out." the pinkette smiled her emerald eyes glittering. Sasuke groaned.

"Yeah whatever I'll find one" he grumbled and Hinata looked even more upset.

"Oh no I don't want to cause trouble it's okay if more people see me like this I don't mind" she whispered. Sakura thumped Sasuke while Itachi sighed and took off his floor length cloak.

"Here since my brother seemed to be an ass you can keep it, I have plenty of others, you should tell Tia about your parents." he commented handing the cloak to her before walking off. Sakura stared at the mesh shirt he was wearing.

He was pale as hell from never seeing sunlight but he was still sexy ... if she wasn't with Sasuke she would become an Itachi stalker. "Thank you!" Hinata whispered and Itachi didn't stop his walk away but he paused and nodded before he continued.

"Don't worry Hinata I'm sure that you will make plenty of new friends now that you're here. We won't let you go back and besides I think you have gained the interest of Itachi. He is Sasuke's older brother by two years and he normally hates everyone. Maybe you should stay and anyways if Neji can't help you out can stay with me. It's time for you to start a new chapter of your life" Sakura smiled reassuringly.

The pinkette looked to the back of the car only to see she was fast asleep cuddling the cloak wrapped around her. Sakura didn't see how it was fair, how someone so innocent had to go through so much pain. She really thought that Hinata could possibly be the one to heal Itachi.

"How long do you think it has been since she slept in a place she felt safe in? Who knows what she went through eh Sasuke" Sakura murmured softly and looking sideways at her boyfriend.

"That doesn't matter anymore, as you said she is starting a new chapter here. But jeez can she pack a punch!" he grumbled and Sakura giggled her eyes twinkling. Sasuke took his eyes off the road and winked at her, it made him happy to see her smiling and laughing.

The pinkette didn't see how she had gone through a lot too just by looking after everyone and keep them safe from harm with her kind and good nature. No matter the danger she was always there besides the person in need.

"_**Well now there is no need for her to worry she is safe and has new friends that care for her!"**_


	2. new life, new school, new crush

**Chapter two: new life, new school, new crush**

When Hinata woke she was in a big fluffy pink circular bed, she certainly hadn't seen such elegancy in a while and she hadn't remembered climbing into the bed. She quickly scrambled to pull back the covers relaxing when her cloak was still around her.

It was her new comfort blanket and didn't notice the couple standing by the door watching her with soft smiles on their faces. Her body also felt lighter, cleaner. She looked beneath the cloak and felt her eyes water when she saw the soft light blue knee length dress.

Sakura was so nice to her.

She slipped out the bed and walked towards the door intending to thank the pinkette, freezing when she looked up and saw the couple looking at her with smug smiles. She blushed crimson; they must have been her snuggling the cloak and got the wrong idea.

"T-T-Thanks S-Sakura t-t-that w-w-was kind o-o-of y-y-you." she stuttered back to her normal self and Sakura cooed and smiled brightly showing a row of bright white teeth. Sasuke rolled his eyes and walked back towards the kitchen.

"Not a problem honey, it suits you anyways, did you get a good sleep? Are you hungry? Thirsty? We all eat three courses in this house, no excuses." she grinned and Hinata nodded and smiled shyly following the pinkette when she beckoned her to follow. When they got to the table it was already filled with foods of different kinds.

"I wasn't sure what you would like so I made everything, it's the butler's three week holiday off, Sasuke and I were waiting so let's eat together right?" she smiled excited and the two joined Sasuke at the table, he was just staring into space waiting for them to hurry up, he was really hungry and the food was tempting him.

Half an hour later and they were completely full, Hinata made the decision that could change her life forever. "S-S-Sakura c-c-c-can y-y-you p-please t-take m-me t-t-to N-N-Neji I-I-I h-have t-to s-speak w-with h-h-him a-a-and m-my a-a-aunty" she whispered and Sakura nodded and punched Sasuke in the arm to go get the car ready.

When he was gone she turned to look at Hinata, "Look if it doesn't go well I talked to my parents, they are off on a business trip, well my mother is but my father wanted to go with her. If Neji can't help you then you have a place here with me."

Hinata smiled and felt tears cloud her vision but she didn't comment, she couldn't without crying and Sakura seemed to understand as she smiled softly and nodded pulling the shy girl into a warm embrace showing her support.

The two walked to the car and Sasuke drove them to Neji and Tia's home. Ino, Naruto and Tiara were there talking to Tia while Neji was grabbing bags of shopping out the car. Most of which didn't look like groceries but bags of clothes.

Sasuke killed the engine and descended from the car walking to meet his friends, feeling sorry for Neji and giving him a hand with all the shopping there was. Sakura helped Hinata out and grabbed her hand, pulling her and her red face towards the group.

"Hi Tia! Look who I found wondering around" she smiled pushing Hinata forwards, Tia gasped loudly and ran over to her young niece grabbing her into a tight hug. Hinata made choking noises as she felt her ribs take the pressure. Despite her small look Tia was strong as hell.

"Darling, Hinata why did you run away your mother and father have the whole family looking for you and poor Hanabi has been crying non stop, you may not spend time with her dear but she still loves and looks up to you!" cried the emotional woman.

Neji walked towards his cousin and he didn't look happy, "Mother leave her alone, Hinata come here a moment I want to talk to you." he said grabbing her from his mother and pulling her into a corner.

"Why did you do it? You aren't acting yourself, when you saw us today it was like you weren't you! What's going on why are you like that? I want to help you, but if you don't talk I can't." he said emotionlessly and Hinata started tearing up,

"I was tired I had been around for two weeks before I saw you and I felt so unstable and not safe, when that girlfriend or friend of yours whatever, called me what she did I just snapped and took it out on you and Sasuke." she said wiping her eyes.

"I just need some time away from home," she sobbed breaking down; Neji awkwardly patted her head while his mother bustled over and pushed her into the house.

So that's how it began her new life, she was able to live with her cousin since her aunty was so angry at her sister for putting stress on her favourite niece. So life was really just beginning for Hinata but she hadn't yet had all the surprises and the next one was having to live through school.

At six am, Tia bounced into her niece's room and drew back the curtains before taking off her niece's covers, Hinata groaned and tried to reach for her covers only to have her aunty take them from her reach and walk out the room with them smiling like a mad woman

"One child awake, one to go!" she shouted merrily

Hinata stumbled to her new cupboard forgetting that she wasn't at home and when she opened it she was surprised to see it was filled with new clothes, she picked out a dark blue knee length dress and put on some plat formed sandals mentally thanking her aunty for her good taste.

When she got down stairs Tia was sitting at the table tapping away at her palm pilot with a coffee in her hand, on the table were different things to make sure that all were accounted for. By the time she was through her second bowl of cereal Neji trudged in, his hair in all different directions.

Before long from that it was time for school and when Tia had kissed them both and skipped out the room the two pale eyed cousins jumped into Neji's Toyota ML and sped off, "Is Tia always so cheerful in the mornings?" she asked softly and Neji snorted lightly tapping the steering wheel since he was bored.

"That woman is hyper and cheerful 24/7, it's a real pain in the ass!" he grumbled and Hinata laughed and then felt her face fall when they pulled into the school car park.

"Neji can we s-s-skip s-s-school?" she asked starting to stutter again and he laughed fully amused.

"Not so confident are you? Don't worry, you will be in one of my classes and if not you'll be with one of my friends, they will take good care of you. Stay away from Tiara, she may be out for blood since you busted her lip," he smiled as Hinata looked a little smug and happy.

The two of them walked over to the school, Neji with his hands in his pocket and Hinata fidgeting with her new school bag, when they passed the gate they were bombarded by people, Sasuke, Sakura, that girl Tiara, Hinata didn't like.

A blonde, a boy with the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen, a boy with spiked black hair, a girl with two buns her arms connected to a boy with the fuzziest eye brows she had ever seen.

"This is everyone," Neji shrugged and the group looked at her curiously, they looked like siblings let alone cousins.

"You know Sasuke and Sakura," he paused and the two nodded at her, "The girl with green hair is Tiara as you know, the blond is Ino, blue eyes spiky blonde is Naruto, spiky black hair is Shikamaru, girl with two buns stuck to fuzzy eye brows is Tenten and the fuzzy kid is Lee." he said

They smiled softly at her and gave a little wave so she knew who was who.

As the group made their way into school Sakura rushed to Hinata's side and started chatting with her about school rules and how things worked, groups and who and who not she could talk to without getting hurt or picked on.

Soon all but Sakura had gone to their classes, "Wait here, I'll get your class list, you are in my form but you may not be in every one of my classes," she explained walking to the office room and leaving the shy girl in the hall by herself.

* * *

Hinata felt kinda awkward, the corridor was empty and silent as she walked backwards and forwards her platform sandals made a loud clicking sound that echoed. As if to make her life more difficult two tall boys swaggered down the corridor laughing.

When she thought they were going to walk past they walked up to her and circled her. "Hey babe what you doing all alone here, are you lost?" one asked flirtatiously staring down at her chest instead of her face.

"He is right toots, you might get hurt if you stay here alone, so maybe you should ride with us for a while, we won't hurt you," the other purred walking closer, Hinata started backing until she walked into something soft behind her.

She froze; ice statue still. Whatever or whoever it was wrapped an arm around her and seemed to make the boys freeze and move back in fear. She didn't think she could imagine the sort of person able to do that other than, that brother of Sasuke.

"Weren't messing with my girl were you? Surely you all heard about the Uchiha's killed?" came the chilling voice

"Yeah what the fuck of it? Some thirteen year old kid killed his parents and turned whack, what does that have to do with you?" the taller of the two asked mouthing off and the owner of the chilling voice chuckled wickedly.

"Well if you recall correctly I am an Uchiha and so is my brother, the two last. My brother was too young then which meant I did it. I never quite got my sanity back." he sighed mock sadly as he twirled a knife around his fingers. It must have been another cloak hide away, which was funny considering he was at school and she was pretty sure weapons weren't allowed there.

Hinata softened up and took a deep breath to calm her heart, she recognised the voice, it was the boy from before, Sasuke's older brother, Itachi was it? The two boys gulped and turned walking rather quickly in the opposite direction.

Itachi let go of her and spun her around,

"What are you doing here alone, your cousin isn't as smart as he let off, leaving you here alone." he said eyeing her and she blushed and looked down, that was twice he had helped her out before chastising her.

"I was told to wait here, Neji has gone to class, Sakura went to get my things from the office, so I just did what she said, why are you here?" she asked curiously and he snorted.

"Well on occasions when I'm in a good mood I often come to school but now I'm in a bad mood so I'm going back home. You didn't see me..." he stated dryly waving a hand and walking off. Hinata timidly walked beside him.

She ignored his questioning gaze,

"I know that skipping is bad and I'll get in trouble-" Itachi rolled his eyes at the pure innocence and goodie two shoes attitude at that, "-but can I please come with you? I don't really want to wait here alone." she said

He sighed loudly, stopping and turning around, "I'll wait with you until that girl gets back, then I'm out of here". He leaned against the row of lockers and closed his obsidian eyes, he fell into deep thought, this girl was pretty damn weird.

"I guess t-t-that w-would b-b-be v-v-very k-kind o-o-of y-you s-s-sorry to b-be a b-b-b-bother" she stuttered standing awkwardly against the lockers opposite him. She watched him curiously, he was definitely a weird one but she liked him almost as much as she liked Sakura.

When they got back from the office Sakura was talking to Neji and Sasuke, behind the three was the rest of the group having decided to skip their class. When Sakura saw the two there she gasped loudly and ran up to Hinata hugging her.

"I'm so sorry Hinata I completely forgot about you!" she apologised frantically and Hinata nodded, though she was slightly hurt to be forgotten about.

Sasuke looked at his brother suspiciously with narrowed eyes and Itachi just stared at him before standing up and leaving the scene, he had nothing to say and he really just wanted to get back home before a teacher caught him there.

Last time that happened he was forced to the councillor's office, what a waste of time that had been.

Hinata lifted her head in panic so she wouldn't miss him, "T-T-Thanks v-very m-m-much I-I-Itachi s-s-s-s-sorry f-f-for b-being a b-b-bother" she said and he nodded before walking away exiting the way he did when she first met him.

Sakura, Ino and Tenten all giggled excitedly before crowding her with questions, Hinata blushed the brightest red ever when she heard them:

"OMG!!! Do you like him" that was Ino

"You two are so perfect for each other you're so shy and selfless and he needs someone who will care for him." that was Tenten

"I think you like him I mean you snuggled up to the cloak he gave you." Sakura added and the three girls kept asking her embarrassing questions and making strange statements.

Well they did until Neji stepped in and grabbed his cousin,

"Meet you guys tonight at Sasuke's house, I'm going shopping, Hinata hasn't got the right clothes or the money." he said before dragging her and her red face out the door leaving the girls still asking questions after her.

An hour of shopping later and Hinata had clothes coming out of her ears: mini skirts, halter tops, cow necks, bikinis, mini dresses and tight black leather along with a painful belly button pierce. It was then she noticed he had his eyebrow pierced and one ear pierced.

"Listen Hinata when you get change into the deep blue mini skirt and a light blue halter top then we are going to party at Sasuke's." he said tapping the steering wheel as she jumped out to carry out his wants.

_T__**his was her first party and she didn't know how this was going to be, she was expecting a party but she wasn't expecting what was to come!**_


	3. Hinata’s first sleep over

**Chapter three: the party and Hinata's first sleep over**

Hinata was literally and utterly lost!

The party was way out of control, growing up with the parents she had, she was sheltered and could easily count her friends on one hand. She hadn't been to this sort of party and she had never touched alcohol. These people seemed like raving lunatic drunks compared to what she was used to.

Neji was cleaning a drunken Tiara, the crazy greenette had been puking up her guts everywhere. Hinata couldn't see how the girl could keep drinking till she was that paralytic that she had to basically be carried and she could do nothing but hurl up her insides. Real pleasant!

That fuzzy eyebrows boy Lee and the girl with two buns Tenten were both drunk too. However they were more in the drunken stage where they were horny as hell and could only think of procreating in the most violent fastest way possible. Their chosen spot of love happened to be a memorial bench!

Sakura and Sasuke were gone too, Hinata couldn't imagine that such a responsible goodie two shoes girl like Sakura could get drunk and make out in a pool with her boyfriend in front of such company in public. Hinata was just happy to see they both still had their clothes on.

Above the loud music rapping obscene words was the faint vibration of what she guessed was Itachi's music. If she listened hard she could hear someone screaming in a rhythmic way. He kinda pegged her as the sort of person that would go for that.

As if all that wasn't enough to scare her into never coming to a party with Neji ever again, Naruto was running around in the nude like a headless chicken waving his arms and making strange noises. Hinata didn't doubt that he was high on some sort of drug.

Shikamaru was laughing in hysterics, a large cigar in his mouth going on about the troubles of the world and how everyone and everything was so troublesome, Ino was attached to his neck like some sort of leech that wouldn't let go, quite revolting really.

When Hinata randomly felt a tap on her shoulder she blinked and turned around, she was expecting to see her cousin telling her they were heading home since it was late but what she **wasn't **expecting, was to be **slapped **in the face by a drunken greenette! As if she didn't get _that _enough from her parents.

"Do yoo wan'a know wha'I think of'a yoo?" she slurred almost toppling over as she pushed Hinata back towards the pool. Hinata resisted the urge to gulp and run away tail in between her legs; she didn't want to hit a drunk person. She might punch her into unconsciousness and then Tiara might choke on her blood and puke and swallow her tongue and die! Besides Hinata really wasn't that much of a fighter.

"No thank y-you I-I think-k t-t-that I k-know-w," Hinata stuttered nervously watching the swaying girl cautiously. Tiara went right up into her face with a cruel laugh and grinned like she was about to tell her the cure to cancer.

"I think tha' you're a bitch," she spat before giggling madly.

Hinata felt a pang in her chest she understood the whole sticks and stones phrase but that really hurt, "bu' I'ma not finished there, you're a bully an' you came to take Neji from me, I mean _**who **_do yoo thin' _**yoo**_ ar' ta him. Yoo don' hav' ta take my friends an' boyfriend away from **me** with your antics, why don' yoo jus' go **fuck** somebody, in fac' why don' you go fuck Itachi if you like him so much," she continued to slur staggering closer and closer until she "accidentally" pushed Hinata into the pool.

It actually wouldn't have been much of a surprise if it was an accident, the girl could barely stand on her own. The group all mostly being drunk started laughing, when she noticed when Sakura was laughing too she felt betrayed despite the fact the girl was drunk off her rocker too.

A rush of strangely flavoured water hit her in the face and in her panic mode she opened her mouth and it flowed in. Not wanting to be revolting she obediently swallowed it and thanked her lucky stars she knew how to swim.

Neji wasn't drunk, she had seen him with a bottle but he claimed he wasn't much of a drinker and he didn't like losing control, he was the one that fished her out of the deep water. He would have taken her inside from the chorus of laughter and taken her home but of course Tiara had to burst into hysterical tears over the fact Neji didn't love her.

Hinata was soaked to the bone and her clothes had become pretty see through making her look like a drowned rat as she stood there shivering waiting for her cousin. However he just shot her an apologetic shrug and led Tiara away.

Hinata was crushed but she did understand, if Neji left them, they really could end up choking on their vomit, they were drunk of their asses and Itachi really didn't give a shit about them to come and check on them.

Tripping and slipping in the wet clothes she shakily made her way into the house, when she was inside she went over to the staircase and sat on the middle height step. She hugged her even paler than usual knees as she began to cry.

She hated to seem wimpy but she really was upset!

Was she really such a horrid person that she needed someone to tell her and in front of so many people at once? She knew that her parents had always said she was a nasty person but she dismissed that as them being cruel.

As she tears slowed and turned to whimpers she remembered the look on everyone's face as they laughed. The tears flowed faster than they had before, she had always had the fear of people laughing at her. Having to deal with going to school when she stuttered had been hell. It was like reliving those days all over again.

Her head tingled and she shook it slightly helping in resolving the swarming vision she had for a moment and getting rid of the nasty thoughts of being in the middle of a circle where the outsiders constantly stood, pointed, mocked and laughed at her.

It was the water, it must have been. She hadn't dared to touch any drink in the house because she was worried it would have been spiked. Knowing that since she hadn't drank before and she had a small frame; the way that they were all chugging vodka shots she would probably pass out after the first one.

She was so taken by her thought she didn't notice the fluffy warm towel go across her shoulders until the warmth spread throughout her body. She looked behind her and instantly looked back down to hide her tear stricken face.

Itachi was looking down at her, his face unreadable but she could sense something hungry ... almost feral and angry deep in the depth of his eyes. "Follow." he commanded; strong arms helping her up. It was then Hinata noticed he was wearing gloves.

It was like she was trapped in a trance of thought, she didn't recall how she managed to follow him in her state but the next thing she was aware, she was sitting on a red Japanese print king sized bed in a black and red room.

"Are you okay?" that smooth but slightly gravelly silky voice asked and Hinata resisted the urge to swoon, she never did think she would ever tire of hearing it. Itachi must have been in the bathroom while she was dazed as he came out of the bathroom as he spoke to her.

He had a black towel around his neck, shirtless with a pair of red light sleeping trousers. She couldn't help but be slightly annoyed, his hair was something she was curious about and the one time she might have been able to see it, it was tied up in a bun so he didn't tangle it during the night.

Despite the weirdness of it, it didn't look half bad on him.

She remembered his questions and nodded, not trusting her voice to reply as she scrubbed her red and puffy eyes. She hugged the large towel to try and stop her shivers. Though she had to say she was happy to see a face that wasn't drunk.

Itachi seemed to snap back from whatever he was thinking when he noticed her shivers. he seemed to remember that she was wet and cursed under his breath lightly before helping her stand, he pushed her towards the room next to his bathroom that was filled with clothes, shoes, cloaks and even more wardrobes and draws.

"Give me your clothes," he ordered calmly and Hinata blushed bright red, when he seemed to start to get annoyed she quickly pulled the sopping clothes off and they landed on the floor with a loud obscene noise.

She blushed, averted eyes as she looked everywhere but at his person while she was standing in her underwear, there was no way she was taking them off with him still in the room, whether he was trying to help or not.

"Here," he passed her a red vest top, black sleeping trousers and a pair of silky boxers from a new packet. She thanked him and he nodded sharply before leaving the walk in closet and shutting the doors behind him.

It was really such a good thing that they were around the same size, Itachi really wasn't that much taller than her five six, he was maybe five seven, five eight tallest. One wouldn't notice just how skinny he was with all the baggy clothes he wore but the trousers only just fit. The guy couldn't be more than eight stones really

When she was done she staggered out looking much better except for her red button nose and her bloodshot eyes. Itachi couldn't help but allow a small smile; she was struggling to keep her eyes open. Not unlike Sasuke used to do when he was just a child and wanted to stay up late with his beloved big brother.

"Sleep. I'll tell Neji that I will drop you tomorrow," he said as she crawled into his large bed, the bed really seemed to swallow her up. Blaming it on not feeling herself she patted the space besides her in the bed.

Itachi smiled and nodded, he didn't want to reject her in the state she was in. That would almost be cruel; he pulled back his coveres and slipped in besides her. "Itachi?" she asked sleepily and he just turned to look at her.

"Do you think I'm a bully or a bitch or a prostitute?" she asked tearing up a little. He sent her a slightly confused look and shook his head. She yawned looking a lot less troubled, "I want you to know I haven't slept with anyone like Tiara has." she paused for another yawn.

"When you noticed I was being _punished_ - what am I kidding, they were border line _abusive_ - I wanted to thank you because it felt good that I didn't have to tell someone and have them gasp, it was nice you didn't make me feel pathetic and fragile." she smiled moving closer to him.

"It's okay, sleep," he said clearly amused by the way she was acting like she was drunk, then it sprung to him, when his brother had parties they would empty the water in the pool and fill it with alcoholic beverages.

That of course meant that if Hinata was pushed into it, at the deep end since she was so wet, she may have had the shock of her life and gasped out; giving the substance the chance to flood her mouth. She didn't seem to be the kind to spit take, which meant she swallowed it. That would also explain why half of them were as drunk as dodos.

He had to resist the urge to smirk as an evil idea sprung to mind, something mean enough to make them wish they had been sober enough to stop what happened and hate him even more than the already it. However not mean enough to actually permanently hurt them.

When he was sure Hinata had slipped off into the dream world and wasn't having any nightmares he left his sanctuary flinging on another one of his red and black cloaks.

This was going to be so much fun, in a morbid way of course.

* * *

Hinata found herself waking at around three in the morning; her head was feeling like a woodpecker was drilling constantly. Itachi was nowhere in sight. Not letting that bother her she slipped out of the bed and walked over to the window.

Everyone must have gone home, the whole property was silent as was the neighbourhood, she couldn't really blame them. Everyone in their right minds would still be asleep at that time in the morning unless they had work or something.

She couldn't remember what happened after she was pushed into the pool but she knew something had happened since she just happened to have Itachi's clothes on which were slightly tight due to her slight lady curves and she happened to have been in his bed

She left the room and found herself in a dimly lit hallway and judging how high the window was, they weren't on the bottom floor. Maybe the second or third if they had one, she silently made her way downstairs.

She didn't want to seem rude but she did have a banging headache and no one was around to help her so she helped herself to the kitchen and began looking around for medicine and a glass to fill with water.

Unbeknown to her once again Itachi had heard someone shuffling around and had gone to investigate. He was leaning against the door highly amused that she didn't learn about sneaking around people's houses.

He had been up on the roof, their roof was partly flat and had a patio in the middle with a roof garden so you could go up there and think while watching the world go by from a high spot. Of course he was the only one who looked after it or went up there. On the plus side because it was in the middle of the roof, it wasn't easy for others to see him but he could see them.

He had been thinking while she was sleeping, he guessed that she was going to wake up hung over if she wasn't used to drinking. He couldn't imagine how much she had drank if she was in this much pain or many it was just that she was a lightweight.

"Second draw to the left, underneath in the cupboard is the glasses," he said rubbing his temples.

"Thank you." she replied the fact that she had just been told not quite registering in her mind. After she got the items she wanted and turned around she jumped back and held the counter for support looking at Itachi in horror.

"This is the second time I've seen you looking around the kitchen," he said, tone not at all bothered and one eyebrow rose. Hinata blushed crimson.

"I'm sorry I had a headache and I didn't see you around, I thought you wouldn't mind so I went to check I'm sorry I should have called you or gone to find you, I wasn't thinking straight" she said holding her head that as it throbbed to remind her it was still aching.

"Sit down, you do not take well to alcohol I suppose." he said as she sat down with her head on the table.

He passed the capsules and the glass to her and stood by the chair watching her, "Where is Neji do you know?" she asked and he smiled so wickedly that she had to shiver. She didn't think she ever wanted to see such an evil smile.

"Cursing me to hell", she gasped, she didn't remember anything happening,

"What happened?" she asked but he simply walked out.

"I'm on the roof if you need me, you should go back to sleep", Hinata blinked and slowly drank her left over water before washing the cup and putting it on the drainer, what had he done to her cousin and his friends, did she really want to know?

She shook her head and decided to explore she couldn't be bothered to go back to sleep yet.

The house was huge, better yet it was a mansion and she enjoyed looking around. When she got to Sasuke's room she had to laugh; he had left the door wide open and he was lying on top of his covers with his thumb in his mouth.

She left his room and carried on exploring: a guest room with a snoring Sakura, bathrooms, other guest rooms, kitchens, games rooms, living rooms, libraries, studies and even more rooms. This house had every freaking thing needed.

When she got to the north wing she had to stop as it was messily boarded up and though she could see one door beyond it as she peaked through the holes, she wondered but didn't want to be that nosey and ask about it in case it was a tough subject.

She walked east next and came across another room which was a library and in front was a set of stairs going up to the roof. She knew Itachi was up there and that she shouldn't intrude but she was a little curious so she climbed the stairs as quietly as she could and when she got to the top she hid on the last step and poked her head up.

Only to see Itachi staring straight back at her, she screamed and nearly lost her balance if it wasn't for him grabbing her arm and smirking evilly. When she finally got up she glared at him but it just looked pathetic and he smirked.

"What did you do that for?" she hissed

He shrugged,

"If you do not understand why I say don't sneak around then I have to show you, you should be in bed" he said and she stuck her tongue out childishly, she wasn't tired anymore and she didn't feel like getting some sleep.

"What you doing up here anyways shouldn't _you_ be in bed?" she asked and he sniggered.

"You forget, I am not the one who has to get up at six for school. Even so I can drop you and come back and sleep if I wish. It is not a weekend." he smiled slightly when she gasped as if just remembering, she looked at his smirking face once more before timidly sticking out her tongue and rushing down the stairs to his bedroom so she could get at least two more hours of sleep!

Itachi rolled his eyes, for being one of his brother's friends she was awfully abnormal and interesting, he found her very amusing and half the time when she wasn't stuttering and being shy, she was pretty funny, he sighed and turned back at the bars of the roof staring out into the distance, man his life was really messed up.

_**Mean while inside his room was the Hyuuga reject fast asleep having dreams of a certain dark teenage boy!**_


	4. Revenge

**Interlude - Itachi's Revenge **

Itachi walked down the stairs planning, it had been a while since he had had some fun with his brother and his little friends. Normally he wouldn't have bothered to do revenge at that time since they were too drunk to care.

However he was making an exception, what they did to Hinata was wrong and they needed to understand that. He was very disappointed with the Hyuga, Itachi knew he didn't drink which meant he was sober when Hinata was hurt and he didn't stop it.

Once he was outside he grabbed the hosepipe and smirked that would do just nicely. It was funny how they were scared of him and yet they still constantly fucked with him. One would think they would have enough brains not to.

They were playing with fire and it was time for them to get burnt.

Even though he didn't really know Hinata he did find her one of Sasuke's better friends. In fact one of the only ones he could actually stand other than Neji, though the fool had let him down big time. That Tiara girl was a piece of work and she really pissed him off, mouthing off all the time.

He would show her, he would show them _all _

It's true two wrongs don't make a right

But

Two minuses make a plus

And they are kind of the same thing. If all else fails he could just say it was worth the satisfaction. He was going to make this a night they would always remember whether they were drunk out of their skulls or not.

It was going to be a Kodak moment ...

Too bad he didn't have a camera!

Hose in hand, he walked over to the tap and set it on maximum pressure before typing in the swimming pool password so that the pool would empty. He wasn't the one who was going to clean the shit but that wasn't his problem.

Now the big question was who was going to be his first victim?

He loved over to the nude couple trying to procreate on what was his family's memorial bench. Not only was it disrespectful for them to 'fuck' on a bench dedicated to the dead but it was also a sight he really could live without seeing.

He pointed the hose at their bare bodies with a small grin, when they looked at him in confusion he blasted them with a high force of cold water. He rolled his eyes at their shouts and screams but his grin did widen. This was the perfect punishment and it was the perfect way to sober up drunks.

When he decided they had enough torture he turned it off, the others behind him where frozen in shock. Sure he had been pretty bold in torturing them before but he had never been this far. He smiled at them as they picked themselves off the floor.

The girl was crying, the bowl cut kid was glaring at him. Itachi shrugged and sighed, "My hand slipped." His tone was sarcastic and dark. Almost wishing that he would say something to challenge that fact so Itachi could give them another blast.

He enjoyed making short work of Naruto who was conked out on the floor, he was startled awake and rolled into the half empty pool, shouting curses when he hit the bottom hard. Sakura and his brother were next.

To him that was the best part, Sakura was nice but she really annoyed him. If he had a fanclub at school which was possible even though he never showed up, he could bet she was either the head of it or she was a member.

He was surprised her screams didn't wake Hinata but he guessed that some higher up was working in their favour. Goodness knows that Itachi would have seriously maimed the little cow. When they had been given a healthy dosage he walked over to Ino and Shikamaru also making short work of them.

Then he smirked sadistically as he walked over to his prime suspects. It was going to be fun!

"People like you make me sick, choosing that slut" he emphasised looking at Tiara, "over your cousin!"

"Things happen for a reason. It seemed like the right thing to do, I knew you were looking out for her" Neji replied with a shrug and Itachi's eyebrow twitched. He was neither expecting nor accepting that answer.

"Forget reason" Itachi stated simply before pressing the trigger on the hose and sending Neji flying backwards because of the force. Tiara was sleeping obliviously in an expensive deckchair.

The others rushed to Neji to make sure he wasn't seriously hurt. They all glared at Itachi has he made his way towards the sleeping girl but they didn't dare interrupt. They had all had enough water blasts to last them a lifetime.

"Wake up!" he ordered dryly before pressing the trigger again

Tiara was knocked off her chair onto the floor where she began screaming after being forced to wake up in such a manner. He didn't stop until he thought she was about to drown, as tempting as it was, he didn't want to kill her.

She was more than sober for a jolly conversation now.

"Why?" he asked coldly and the girl shivered, that voice was icy and made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She was further freaked out when she noticed his eyes; she didn't see how she had never noticed it.

They were a blood red with little rings of black spinning around, they were creepy as hell. She was so shocked she opened her mouth to talk but nothing came out, of course this only made him angrier and the black rings spun faster

He was about to press the trigger again when she jumped, "Okay, okay, alright, alright** STOP!!**" she ordered when his hand seemed to begin pressing down the trigger. He cocked his head to the side and let of the trigger.

"She doesn't deserve everything that she has, she is nothing but a little hoe that wants attention and everyone automatically drops everything to help her. She isn't worth it! The two of you make the perfect pathetic couple!" Tiara spat, angrily stamping her feet in a childish tantrum.

Itachi rolled his eyes not impressed

"Bite me"

He pulled the trigger and enjoyed the sounds of her screams when the others seemed to start to move he smiled and moved the sprays to them. After a good ten minutes he dropped the hose and stared at them coldly.

"Still want to mess with us?" he asked

No one moved a muscle and he nodded and turned his back

"Good" his eyes stopped spinning and changed back to their cold onyx as he calmed down. He heard his brother and Sakura walked in after him as he went in. The others were leaving the premises cursing.

He snorted and rolled his eyes when he heard Tiara's huffy fit scream.

"_**INSANE**_, ITACHI UCHIHA IS _**INSANE! **_IF HE COMES NEAR ME I'LL CALL THE_** COPS!!**_" she screamed followed by more screams and high soggy heels on the patio floor. Itachi helped himself to a glass of water and sat on the table waiting to hear his brother's complaints.

He wasn't disappointed

"What the _**FUCK **_Itachi. Can you really not be _**NORMAL, **_an _**ACCIDENT, **_that was all it was!!" he yelled pacing the room angrily and Itachi took a small sip of his drink calmly as if he didn't have a sixteen year old yelling in his face.

"When drinks come out the truth comes to play" he replied simply before taking off his cloak and taking his glass towards the exit with him, he ignored Sakura gawking at his chest. Yes he was thin and yes it was toned but she didn't need to stare it wasn't all that great.

"Sasuke growled and Itachi rolled his eyes

"Stop growling, you aren't a dog" he murmured striding out the room.

_**Well at least now they won't bug him or Hinata for that matter, life was good for the moment till the next time he could get his sweet tasting revenge!**_

* * *


	5. holiday

**Chapter Four: Holiday**

Two months,

It was funny how quickly time flew; it had already been two months since Hinata had spent the night in Itachi's bed, drunk and in his surprisingly very comfortable clothes. No one brought up subject of what had happened and everyone kept clear of Itachi; much to his pleasure and to the confusion of Hinata. No one would tell her what happened much to her chagrin.

Hinata and Itachi had steadily become more than acquaintances, they were pretty good friends, though every time she said it Sasuke snorted and rolled his eyes, as far as he was concerned Itachi couldn't have normal friends. All of them were going on holiday, sure Hinata had to beg Itachi but all the shy girl had to do was ask him if he really wanted her to go alone.

They were going to Suna and according to Sasuke; staying in one of the best accommodation there; he had said it was a small fortune but Hinata didn't think Sasuke even had the word small in his vocabulary. Everything he had was expensive!

Apparently Suna used to be where Sasuke and Itachi lived when their father's business took off, she wasn't sure where they had lived before that but she had a sinking feeling they had lived in Konoha before that. After their parents deaths they moved back to Konoha, it definitely made sense to her for them to do that.

"I don't see why you kids want to go off. It hasn't been long since Hinata first came to live with us and I doubt that she has even been on a plane before Neji, your father's old fart of a brother is so old fashioned that I doubt he even knows what one is. Can't you reschedule?" Tia asked chasing her son with a coffee in one hand and her beeping palm pilot in the other. Having her own business was just such a hassle sometimes ... oh well no rest for the wicked and all that.

"Do you doubt her?" Neji asked as he paused and turned around to look at his mother, her eyes widened. She wasn't trying to imply that Hinata wasn't able to take care of herself but, the girl was still so naive and innocent. Sure she had been through a lot but the way the girl acted ... it was like she had lived in a cardboard box her entire life.

"Hinata is a survivor, I cannot forgive what uncle did but she shouldn't have to live in the past, let her try new things and learn for herself. She can do it I believe in her and you should too," he told her honestly before he bowed and carried on to his room.

Tia was left behind with her mouth wide open, her coffee almost spilling onto the ground and her palm pilot still beeping away; finally she shook her head and muttered about bratty teenage boys talking back to their mothers.

* * *

Hinata was sitting on her bed, she was ever so nervous. Itachi had told her that flying was nothing special but she didn't think he was much interested in life so his opinion just didn't really count. Sakura on the other hand had told her that it was terrible and she was always ill and was always worried that she was going to die, but then Sakura could be such a dramatic person that Hinata just didn't know who to believe.

She really had no idea what to expect, her parents had always made her believe she didn't deserve to do things that everyone could because she couldn't obey what they wanted her to do. So she had never had a holiday, she had never been on a plane. She had basically never led her own life. Her parent's words had been law, if she wanted something she would have to obey every single thing they said and when they said it.

Neji told her it was hot there a lot different to Konoha's cool climate, Sakura had said that skirts and dresses would be a good idea but after the swimming pool accident and her becoming literally see through she wasn't so sure that was all she was going to wear, she was more of a long sleeve and trousers person anyways.

She didn't want another accident to happen!

She liked how things were moving with Itachi; he really was an interesting person when he bothered to give her his perspective. Most of the time they just said in comfortable silences and she found she learnt a lot about him just by his body language.

For whatever reason he was awfully interested in learning about her but he never talked about himself, Hinata didn't believe in pushing such a notion but she was rather curious to find out more. He was such a private person.

She sighed and began packing small sentimental objects in her suitcase, nothing too flashy really; she never really got any presents or things that meant a lot to her. These were just a few things she had bought over time and she hadn't wanted to leave them, she didn't want to risk her father or mother breaking them after she left.

When Tia walked in looking stressed and concerned, Hinata grew worried; it meant something was bothering her or perhaps she had bad business or maybe even too much work, the woman was on call 24 hours a day, that had to grate on any saint's nerves. Normally she was so happy and bouncy; like a child on blue smarties or after drinking a litre of cola.

"May I come in?" Tia asked and when her niece nodded she walked in and sat on Hinata's bed beside the huge suitcase. "Honey, you do know that if you don't want to go you don't have to right?" she said softly and Hinata nodded but didn't speak sensing that her aunt wasn't finished.

"I want you to know that if you have any problems just give me a call and I'll come and get you." she finished patting Hinata's bed and the girl took the motion and sat beside her aunt. Hinata smiled at her aunt with misty eyes, Tia was soo lovely.

"T-Thank you b-but I need to do this for m-m-myself, I n-never had the chance to and I t-think that I should be g-given the chance to spread my wings I d-don't want to be c-c-caged anymore," the girl stuttered and Tia smiled and hugged her.

"That's my girl! I trust and believe in you! I won't give you the whole, 'Don't go out at night speech'" the small woman paused to do the air quotes, "I will tell you to stay away from that Tiara, Neji won't listen when I say she is bad news but her father is a criminal involved in drugs, I don't know what she has been exposed to!" the petite woman stood up and brushed herself down.

"The Hyuuga/Hyuga family need a generation like you and Neji to lighten them up. I may not be part of them anymore but they are still your family and despite what you may think, they are there for you both. They haven't always been a lucky family." she smiled softly before turning to walk away, then she seemed to remember something has she shoved a packet in her nieces arms suddenly smirking.

"Forgive me but I heard Sakura and Ino talk about you, they were saying that you like Itachi and possibly vice versa!" Hinata blushed and Tia giggled, "Those will _definitely _knock him off his feet, do you want some advice?" she asked and Hinata nodded.

"Just be you, Itachi doesn't like all that fake mumbo jumbo, mention me sometime, he'll know who I am. Probably wants to pull my hair out or something. He has never really had someone to care for him, Mikoto; his mother was never able to feel maternal with him and well Fugaku is another story, maybe he'll tell you one day." she sighed.

"It was odd he never grieved at the funeral or over the loss, Sasuke grieved like you wouldn't believe but then he got together with Neji and Sakura and worked it out. Anyways Itachi really needs help and I hope you can be the one to administer it, give him a dose of Hyuuga spirit!" she smiled before she finally left.

Hinata raised her eyebrows before opening the package; she blushed crimson at the things on top, satin underwear, a short silky light blue night dress and a cotton one in lilac. None of which reached lower than her mid thigh. She was thankful though and she moved them into her suitcase.

As she looked back into the package she gasped, there was as bundle of sparkly deep purple material and there were dark blue shoes to go with. She picked the material up and hugged it against her chest. It was an evening dress, sleeveless and the shoes were kitten heels that matched well.

She smiled at the thought of her aunty and then moved on to the velvet box left in the package. She guessed it was a jewellery case and sighed at how much the contents must have cost. All in the Hyuuga/Hyuga family were serious about their jewellery and having the best.

A couple of rings with different gemstones, a pair of long earring with diamonds and jewels wielded into them, she felt tears slip from her eyes, her own mother wouldn't have wasted money on her, she really wasn't worth it.

Tia was much like the mother she had never had, she really wanted to stay with her for as long as she could. By the time she had finished packing it was late.

When she got downstairs Neji was causally meditating and focusing his breathing.

Sakura and Sasuke were watching the television cuddled together. It was a cute sight! Sakura smiled at Hinata as she came into the room and beckoned her to sit. Hinata complied and blushed in embarrassment.

"Have you finished packing?" she asked curiously and Hinata nodded,

"Did you aunt get you anything?" she pushed further as if she knew and Hinata blushed but nodded again.

Neji released his position and stood up looking relaxed, "So what did mother get you?" he asked and Hinata averted her eyes and twiddled her fingers. Sakura giggled and grabbed her hand before pulling her upstairs.

The boys looked at each other and shrugged,

They would never understand girls.

* * *

The next day Neji woke Hinata early and told her to hurry and change into something comfortable. She chose a purple cow neck and a black knee length skirt. She rushed downstairs when she was done, she couldn't even describe how she felt.

Saying excited just didn't do the feeling justice.

Neji and Tia were sitting at the breakfast table, Neji's eyes were closed as he savoured the taste of his breakfast and Tia was sitting with a croissant, a coffee and typing away on some work on her laptop. When Hinata took a seat the older woman smiled in greeting and shut the laptop screen.

"Are you ready?" Neji asked opening his pale eyes and looking at his cousin, she looked indecisive.

"Remember what I said honey, don't feel pressured to do this and even if you do go and don't like it, you can always come back at any time!" she smiled and Hinata thought the woman was more worried about being lonely in such a big house on her own.

"Are you doubting her again?" Neji scowled and the two began arguing.

Hinata smiled at the two of them, "I'll have such a great time aunt, just you wait, you won't even have to worry about me at all." she stated confidently and Neji smirked at his mother, she blew a raspberry at him in return.

They had just finished breakfast when one of their housekeepers knocked and came in. "Young Master, Young Mistress your limos are here. A Young Master Itachi wishes to ask if you would join him." the housekeeper relayed.

Hinata grinned and ran upstairs to grab her suitcase and with the help of some of the maids they all got it down stairs and into the limo, she hugged and bade goodbye to her aunt before slipping on her plat formed flip-flops and running out.

Itachi smiled as she stepped into the limo, she took a seat opposite him and got comfortable, she had never ridden in a limo before so for her it was all quite a breathtaking experience. She couldn't help but flick switches and press buttons albeit timidly.

She looked behind Itachi's head and her mouth dropped open, there was a real Jacuzzi in a moving car, part of her didn't see how it could have been possible. Itachi smiled at her, it was warmer smile than usual but not any bigger.

Almost like a shadow of what his original smile would have looked like. He guessed that she hadn't been in a limo before and he normally would have driven his Hummer but he guessed that Hinata would prefer the limo.

"Is it to your taste?" he asked and she stared at him mouth open,

"W-What do you mean is it to my t-taste?! You should have s-said there was a Jacuzzi, I've never been in one before and I would have worn my swimming wear u-underneath" she stuttered annoyed and Itachi shrugged.

"It didn't come to mind, I don't use it."

Hinata's eyes popped open, he didn't use it but he had one anyways, she guessed she shouldn't have been surprised with the way Sasuke spent money it wouldn't have surprised her if it was something to do with him.

He sighed and pulled a bikini from a plastic bag of some shop he obviously liked, he knew she didn't like them and she did winkle her nose when she saw it but it couldn't be helped. If she wanted to go in she had to sacrifice.

"All the shop had. Do you want it?" he asked curiously, Hinata blushed crimson.

She didn't even look good in her underwear and he expected her to wear a bikini. She knew he wasn't a pervert but still she didn't want him to see her and then think she was ugly. She had got enough of that back with her parents.

Hanabi had always been the pretty one.

She sighed and looked at the offending item again; it really didn't look that bad. If it had been a one piece she really would have loved it. It really reminded her of Itachi but at the same time she just liked the design.

It was black with red graffiti writing going across. There was a yin yang sign in both corners of the bikini pants. She eyed it distastefully, she felt herself to be thin but flabby too and she knew woman were meant to have 'a layer of fat for baby making' and all that jazz but still, she didn't want to hang it all out.

She was really quite self conscious about that sort of thing.

Itachi pressed the tinted window to come up so that they couldn't be seen by anyone via the front window, he trusted his driver not to get them killed but he didn't trust that the man wouldn't be a pervert and eye her up.

"I don't care what you look like you know." he murmured and she cocked her head to the side in confusion, Itachi sighed a little uncomfortable. He tried to avoid saying a lot of words, he was; as they say; a man of little words.

"You could have webbed feet and green scales for all I cared," he stated giving her the bikini and pushing her into a corner, he pulled the hanging curtain around her so that she could get changed in private.

Twenty minutes later he didn't think she would surface, "C-Can I have a t-towel p-p-please?" she finally asked and Itachi resisted the urge to roll his eyes and complied with the idea. She came out with the towel tightly wrapped around her.

She smiled wobbly at him and he sighed, "Would you come here?" he asked awfully innocently and she nodded and walked up to him. Before she could even blink he grabbed the towel, whipped it off and gave her a push into the bubbling warmth.

She surfaced and glared at him unimpressed, and he shrugged and lightly played with the bubbling water with his fingers, popping the bubbles before they did so on their own. Hinata smiled brightly at him.

"Why don't you come in?" she asked and he looked at her carefully before he blinked and averted his eyes mumbling something. It wasn't often he volunteered something about himself but he felt that he could trust her.

"Pardon?" she asked and he sighed and took a bigger breath,

"I don't like water, I don't swim well" he repeated, though by not swimming he basically meant that he couldn't swim at all. Hinata giggled, she couldn't help it but she just found it the funniest thing she had heard.

Itachi scowled at her and she tried to apologise but she just burst into laughter again.

"What's funny?" he asked, still scowling and she blushed red and placed her head underwater, she was embarrassed but at the same time she just found it too funny that he didn't like water. She just couldn't really see him being frightened at anything at all.

"D-Don't m-mind m-me, I j-just, y-you j-just –"she burst into sporadic laughs again and he sighed and looked at her unimpressed. He looked at the water and back at her again and rolled his eyes at the childishness of his idea.

"Hinata..." he called and Hinata looked up instantly, it was one of the first times she had ever heard him call her by name. As soon as she lifted her head she was gifted by a face full of water, when the water had finished dripping down her face she resembled a fish.

"My hand slipped," he shrugged and she grinned, before Itachi could dive for cover, his person was drenched from head to toe by the massive tidal wave of water she pushed his way mixed with the limo going over a bump.

The two talked and moved back to the seats when Hinata began getting shrivelled, by that time they still had a few hours to get to the airport so they grabbed a drink and relaxed until they both fell asleep, Hinata leaning on Itachi's shoulder.

_**Both didn't realise that in the other limo they were finding a way to set the two of them up, starting with a nasty surprise **_


	6. Hell on a plane

Chapter Five: Hell On A Plane

The rest of the journey was so peaceful that it was like they were only in the limo a couple of minutes before they reached their destination. Hinata was still fast asleep even as they arrived and she looked exhausted. Itachi; having a soft moment didn't think it fair to wake her; he pulled on some leather gloves and carefully picked her up.

She stirred slightly before snuggling into his cloak.

He was surprised she didn't wake up through the whole stress at the airport. Neji's jet went missing; it took them well over half an hour to find it and its crew. Turned out that the jet had been taken to another airport, to it had to be moved over.

After a whole load of arguments and profanities being flown around the jet finally came back and with a lot of apologizing and bribes Neji decided not to sue. After that it wasn't long before they were all seated in the plane and much to Itachi's chagrin Hinata woke up.

He really didn't think she would like flying much.

Sakura seemed to catch on to his view point and was quick to offer the girl some of her own fast working motion sickness tablets, the girl wouldn't feel a thing once they kicked in. When the engine started up Hinata was both excited and terrified.

When the large wide screen television came down and the video began playing, telling the passengers what to do in case of an emergency her eyes widened in fright and panic. Her friends watched her amused, Itachi was worried she would start hyperventilating, he may always be prepared but he didn't have that many paper bags on him despite knowing of her frequent panic attacks.

"**Master Neji, this is your pilot Yosho speaking, this duration of the flight should be about four hours, give or take a few but the weather doesn't seem to be shining on us so if anything we'll be gaining. Please let me remind you to keep your belts on during takeoff and landing and no mobile phones to be used unless in flight mode.**" the Pilot introduced himself over the com.

The plane started to move and they all seemed to disregard what the pilot had told them, Naruto clicked his seat belt off and jumped up into the large empty space in front of him, "I'll show you the best way to stand up during takeoff," he smiled

Lee joined him, "No I believe that I know how to do better than you," and they both erupted into a full scale argument not hearing Sasuke mutter loser or Neji shake his head, the two completely forgot that they were even on the plane and when it did take up:

Sakura grabbed on tight to Sasuke, Neji and Tiara started talking as the greenette never had been fond of leaving the ground, Naruto and Lee went flying towards the back of the plane, Ino and Shikamaru were sharing a long kiss, Tenten was smiling, she loved the thrill of take off.

Meanwhile Hinata was holding on tight to her seat wishing she could hold one of Itachi's hands as the strange boy always made her feel safe, when she felt him lift her hand she looked up and smiled faintly, he was trying to make her feel better by resting her hand on his yet she noticed he was wearing thick motorcycle leather gloves.

Once the plane settled Hinata settled too and let her hand drift back to her seat, Itachi was just sitting there with his eyes closed, but she knew he wasn't sleeping, he was just '_**resting his eyes' **_as people called it. The others were talking among themselves then they seemed to look over and her and snigger before carrying on.

She had a feeling they were scheming things she really didn't want to even know about.

* * *

"How can you be sure he will be mad and not indifferent?" Neji asked sceptically and Sasuke looked at him in a warning way to shut his trap, he hadn't told Sakura because he knew she would be severely pissed off, she just wanted him to leave Itachi alone.

Sakura's attention had been caught and she was confused, "What do you mean, we don't want to make anyone mad, we just want to set them up." she said and Neji smirked, as did the others when they caught on.

"Well Sakura you see what it is, is that Sasuke-" Naruto never got to finish what he was saying because Sasuke thwacked him on the head to shut him up, the others sniggered and as it dawned on her, Sakura felt 'inner Sakura' going mad,

"**So he thought it would be funny to piss his brother off, that bloody bastard tell him whose boss!"** she shouted and Sakura herself smirked evilly which looked kinda scary and out of character on the normally sweet pinkette.

"_**SASKUKE!!" **_she yelled charging at his standing form with a leap from her seat and she began pulling his ears, her legs wrapped around his waist, the others laughed at the view, but Sasuke didn't seem pleased as he pried her off and muttered his apology very quietly under his breath.

Just loud enough for Sakura to hear and she sat back down on the chair looking accomplished, "Apology accepted honey," the others sniggered again; Sakura certainly had Sasuke wrapped around her little finger.

Tenten looked at them rather confused still with the plan, "Still, how will we get rooms quick enough Sasuke, we know that the master bedroom is closed off since it was your old house but I don't understand are you sure there will be enough room for the other two?" she asked and he sighed.

"Tenten this is simple, yes it _**was**_ my home before the incident and so I know the house like I know my pubic hair, the thing is that Itachi doesn't know we are staying there and if he did he wouldn't have come," Sasuke began,

"He will be fuming pissed when he finds out so make sure there are no sharp objects or hoses because he will beat the crap outta us," he explained and sighed when everyone started looking blank.

"Fuming pissed?" Naruto blinked his large blue eyes and cocked his head to the side that was an interesting phrase...

Shikamaru sighed,

"Troublesome word order."

"Okay fine here we go, Naruto you take the single bed room, Sakura and I will take my old room, Nara, you and Ino take the first room you like, Tenten and Lee, you guys then choice the one you want, Neji and Tiara take the two rooms on the ground floor they have a connecting door if you want, then that leaves Itachi's room on the roof" he said his voice turning to a whisper as he noticed Hinata suddenly turn their way in suspicion.

"His room is on the _**roof**_??" said Ino yelled surprised and the others nodded their heads wildly, they hadn't heard of someone having their bedroom on the roof and knowing Itachi it wasn't some sort of code for a third floor, his room must basically really be on the roof.

Sasuke sighed, "Listen you know he always says how Sakura spends more time in our house than he does is because he is never really in the house but on the roof so technically isn't inside the house, that's why the houses we choose have flat roofs, so he can do whatever he does up there," he rambled before he realised he was and stopped speaking.

"Anyway this roof is half covered by frosted transparent glass room with a solid walled bathroom, dressing room and a large balcony, so when he is lying in his bed he can still see whatever is out there he looks at without some perverts trying to see what he is doing or he can go out to the balcony and do the same," he explained the idea and the others nodded in understanding.

The plane suddenly jerked,

The ones that didn't have their belts on were thrown to the floor and yelped/squeaked/groaned/moaned/screamed or any other strange noise they could make with their mouth and voice. it actually would have been funny had that not be worried about the sudden jerk.

The seat belt sign was flicked on and Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he picked himself off the floor, "Would have helped if that went on before we were all thrown to the floor," he grumbled and the others that were thrown to the floor groaned in agreement.

Nevertheless they all managed to crawl to their seats and fasten their belts without much injury between the planes harsh jerky movements. Hinata almost gave in to panic when the first jerk happened but when she noticed Itachi's body was still limp she figured he had fallen asleep.

He looked so innocent and adorable in his sleep that Hinata didn't want to wake him, the only other option she could think of was putting the belt on for him, the plane really wasn't predictable for her just to leave him without a belt.

So doing her own first remembering the instructions on the DVD to help yourself before you help others and then she reached over and grabbed the other side of the belt when the plane took another major jerk.

The others groaned in worry and Hinata's hand slipped and she brushed against the small slip of exposed skin on his stomach because of the way his top had raised up due to his position sleeping. The contact caused him to wake up in a jolt and rather disorientated.

When he had remembered where he was he looked down at her in question and she blushed and shrugged before averting her eyes, "I-I'm s-sorry I woke you the s-seat b-belt lights c-came on a-and … a-and I had to p-put y-yours on, I d-d-didn't w-want to w-wake you," she stuttered timidly and he nodded.

The pilot's voice was then heard over all the noise. Hinata and the gang froze at what they heard sure they were used to flying but none of them had really been in a plane when there was really bad weather or a problem.

"_**This is your pilot speaking young master Neji?"**_ the pilot stated as if asking permission to speak, he was too proud a man to ask but he wasn't suicidal enough to face the young teenager or his mothers wrath, he had heard enough rumours to know it was a bad idea.

"Speak to me," Neji replied bored as if they weren't on a plane flight that could potentially kill them

"**Well the big storm hit as we began crossing Amegakure but you have nothing to worry about I've flown worse and survived," **Yosho joked and Sakura turned red and shook her fist at the pilot door as if he could see her, she didn't want to know things like that, it was almost saying that they could die. Everyone knew that storms in Amegakure were extremely dangerous conditions if one wasn't used to them!

"Get to the point, I don't want to know about all that!" she yelled and Ino backed her up.

"**If it gets worse I'll have to ask permission to land at the closest place with a runway, can I have confirmation to do that if the storm gets worse?" **Yosho asked and Neji checked his milky nails while he thought to himself.

"Fine that's acceptable," was the simple reply.

His cousin was as white as a sheet of paper, his friends were all doing one thing or the other to calm themselves, well all except Naruto who was too busy sleeping and leaking a pile of drool onto his nicely carpeted jet.

Itachi sighed and leant his head back, he didn't understand why they were all scared, they were all going to die eventually and besides if they died this way then maybe the drop would be so fast that the pressure got too much and they passed out so they wouldn't feel it.

He shook his head at the morbidity of his thoughts and turned to look at his companion, he could almost feel the tension coming from her. He would have grabbed her hand or something but in truth he couldn't stand touching or having close contact with anther being.

He wasn't really a people person.

Hinata gripped the arm holders tighter, so tight that she was afraid she would break them off, her knuckles were white, she wouldn't have been surprised if she looked like a ghost but she doubted that the others would have noticed.

She could truly say at that moment that she was glad her parents had never taken her on a plane, funny enough she could bet if they knew she was afraid of flying they would have made her fly somewhere every week.

If she could she would sky dive off the plane and swim her way back to Konoha, next time she would take Tia's advice, there was always a reason to believe a smart person because ninety nine point three percent of the time they were always right!

"**Hold on!" **

Hinata almost missed the sound from the com and was glad she didn't, she just had enough time to brace before the plane dropped worse than it had before, her heart seemed to stop, time seemed to slow right down and her stomach was trapped in her throat.

However despite this a shrilling scream managed to tear from her mouth and join in with the other shouts and screams of surprise and terror, she could almost bet that if they got off the plane alive Neji would never admit to screaming like a little girl.

The fall seemed to last forever but was only a few minutes and one by one the other sounds of screaming seemed to stop but she was still in too much shock to close her mouth so her scream went on for a lovely solo. The others seemed to be trapped in their own shock even though they weren't in terror any longer.

Itachi was watching her scream in interest; he didn't think that anyone could hold such a shrilling note for so long; he didn't even think she had paused to breath since she started. It was almost amusing to watch; if not slightly painful for his ears.

"**Sorry for the drop, we should be out of the bad stuff now, I dropped altitude quite a lot but there isn't much further now,"**

Sasuke was sending Itachi evils, he had almost wet himself, his girlfriend had passed out, he learnt one of his his best guy friend's could scream like a little girl, and that his little cousin was still screaming her lungs out and his brother was just sitting there watching like it was some amusing show.

He really didn't want to have to deal with a headache too or become deaf. He rather liked hearing just not that dreadful shrill sound. Itachi seemed to get the point as he sighed his dramatically long 'I'm being tortured by incompetent fools' sigh and turned to unbuckle her seat.

He carefully lifted her out of the seat and onto his lap, her body was pretty lax so it wasn't too difficult to do and as soon as he loosely wrapped his arms around her she buried her head in his chest and tried to hide herself. Effectively her screaming had stopped.

"It's alright"

That's all she heard as she buried towards the warmth, the quiet, silky smooth melodious sound warmed her soul and chased away her worries, sure her throat was aching but as long as she was covered in this warmth she wouldn't mind.

A few belated tear drops fell but she didn't remember what happened next as she calmed by listening to the sound of the reassuring rhythmic thumps, someone was still alive, which pretty much meant that she was still alive. That was enough for her at that moment.

* * *

"Sasuke look! Isn't that cute" Sakura giggled and pointed to the duo an hour later and all heads turned to look, the two were curled up together fast asleep. Hinata curled up in Itachi's lap her head tucked against his chest and Itachi's arms wrapped around her protectively.

Sasuke scoffed, as far as he was concerned nothing including his brother was cute, even if that meant his own child being cuddled with Itachi, the thought just made him shiver. His brother ruined almost every sight with his Itachiness!

Sakura swooned she was going to do everything in her power to get them together; they were just too cute to be with anyone else but each other. When she voiced this to Sasuke he just told her to leave them alone before Itachi woke up and found something sharp and heavy to throw at them.__

_**As our special couple slept on, they couldn't even imagine the things that were going to happen and the fact that the dark boy was going to need her help to overcome himself and the thing that haunted him to that very day. **_


	7. Trauma

**Chapter six: Trauma**

"_Get up now" _

The phrase was briefly followed by a soft shaking.

Hinata completely missed the words and almost missed the shaking. She was just so tired, and it was such a warm and comfortable bed; she really didn't want to move. She moaned at the annoyance bothering her to give her five minutes.

When she heard a somewhat familiar dark chuckle she opened one eye to peak out and instantly blushed dark red when she saw Itachi staring down at her body moulded to fit his own. She jumped off him and averted her eyes pretending nothing had happened.

Itachi shook his head and gave that short dark chuckle again.

They had finally landed; that must have been the reason that Itachi had tried to wake her. She stared out the window to see bright light and the beautiful sandy dunes surrounding the airport. Everyone's moods were much happier as they stepped off the plane.

Itachi sighed, he had hoped he would never have to come back and visit Suna, he liked Konoha fine, this place had too many memories he wanted to escape no matter what his foolish younger brother wanted.

Sasuke didn't understand, he had been so young, just eight and in his room. What would he have known? Itachi didn't even think that Sasuke knew what happened that day and that was exactly how he wanted to keep it.

He guessed that if anything went wrong, the way he thought it was going to, he was going to have to leave to sort himself out. He may have seemed like an ice block but he _did _have feelings no matter how much he tried to hide them and he did still hurt over the death of his, not-so-good parents.

He would go and see his gang, if the good ole Akatsuki gang was still around that is, it wouldn't surprise him if they had cocked up some sort of mission and killed themselves. It seemed to be a thing they managed to do often, even when he was with them before.

As probably guessed he wasn't the best kid when he was younger before his parents passed, hell that made him sound like a good kid still. He wasn't exactly the good kind of kid either. He and his friends were a part of this 'almost mafia' type gang called the Akatsuki.

The Akatsuki were an up and coming gang, even living in Konoha Itachi heard of their business every now and then. Apparently the Leader that is; the guy at the top was looking for something and had been for a long time but he didn't know where to find it. Itachi and his friend's were moving quickly through the ranks; at least they had been before he left. Their dream had been to be the main group, the ones people thought of when they thought of the Akatsuki.

Sure they did things he wasn't proud of, none of them were proud of but he didn't regret it or want to forget, they were a part of him and forgetting would be like forgetting the real him. Though he did know he couldn't go back to that careless lifestyle.

* * *

Hinata was worried, she had been calling the brunette for some time and he seemed to be staring so deep into space that he didn't hear her. It was creepy, kind of reminding her of the phrase, the lights are on but nobody's home. In this case the lights really were on, Itachi was sitting down and looking out the window waiting for the others to find their luggage but his eyes held that dull, bemused stare of someone that was 'away with the fairies'.

"Itachi!" she called louder shaking his arm and he snapped back and looked into her concerned eyes almost dazed. When he just continued to stare at her she remembered she was meant to be telling him something.

"I'm going to ride with the others, Sakura says she has this thing to show me in the other limo and I thought it would be a good time to compare the two" she smiled apologetically. Itachi noticed she was so excited at the prospect that she hadn't stuttered so he just nodded.

At least it would give him the chance to reminisce for a while longer and perhaps convince himself that his brother wasn't as suicidal as he suspected – well – as he hoped.

* * *

So the two spilt into the separate vehicles. Hinata liked Sasuke's dark blue limousine but she stilled liked Itachi's better. "What did you want to show me?" she asked curiously and Sakura chuckled nervously, Hinata may have been a nervously little thing but she had shown that she could be pretty feisty.

"Actually we wanted to tell you something," Neji replied calmly and Hinata narrowed her eyes in suspicion, the atmosphere was tight and tense. She didn't like it and whatever they had to tell her made her think it was about Itachi.

So they told her …

"**W-WHAT!?" **

"Now don't be rash Hina, we were only thinking of you!" Naruto laughed pathetically and scratched the back of his head and Sakura nodded. Hinata ignored both of them she was too busy glaring as hard as she could at Sasuke. It might not have been a patch on Itachi's but it was scary for those that weren't used to being glared at.

"Understand that my brother is a coward, he won't face the past and it's pathetic, it has been five years, it is time for him to let go! Besides you wanted the bastard to come so this is the best time" Sasuke said brushing off the glare.

He was used to Itachi's death stare; hers didn't even faze him.

"How could you?!" she demanded, "How would you feel, how would any of you feel to be forced to face something you aren't ready to. This way as well when you are with people you hate! You're being cruel" she shouted her voice thick with emotion.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. Girls were so dramatic.

"Don't be dramatic! Under all that cloak and dagger shit Itachi is still a scared thirteen year old boy. I'm neither blind nor stupid, I know he saw what happened and I won't ever know. I know he is traumatised but he has to face the music" Sasuke replied sternly.

The group were actually surprised that the timid girl was arguing with such a stubborn boy. Really they were surprised she was arguing at all. She was normally so timid she just went along with everything and anything but for once she was standing up to something.

"What do you know of your brother?!" Hinata shrieked she couldn't help it; the other boy was really starting to piss her off. He was standing there preaching to her and yet he knew nothing! And he didn't care to find out! Some brother he was.

Sasuke looked at her coolly, the others held their breaths. This was a question many of them wanted to know the answer. Sasuke did this Itachi preaching a lot whenever anyone asked about him and they all wanted to know what made him think he knew Itachi.

"I may not particularly like my brother but I know about him. The way his eyes go when he's pissed, the way they're onyx when he's indifferent. He makes masks so that people don't think he is weak. He hates touch or people seeing the real him so he covers as much skin as he can. To share a weakness with someone he must really trust them" he stated off monotone.

Most were shocked; they didn't think that he would know all of that. Hinata however wasn't so impressed, in fact she thought his attempt to preach to her was pretty lame. Sure he had mentioned things but they weren't things that were special or meant you knew a person. Hinata didn't know Itachi well and she already knew all of that.

"So you think you know him?" she asked rudely and Sasuke's eyes widened, the timid girl snorted. "That, Sasuke Uchiha is a lot of bullshit. You claimed to know him but you don't, anyone here could learn all of that just by watching him" she let the silence drag on for a while.

"I have barely scratched the surface and I know more than that. I would tell you but unlike you I care for him and I refuse to betray the trust he put in me with these things he told me. Your brother is not secretive, he simply wants to volunteer information about himself without someone pushing or appearing curious about him. Your brother is not weak or pathetic considering what he went through" she hissed at him.

Sasuke shrugged

"I never said my brother was weak I said he makes masks so that people don't think he is weak, there is a difference. I know my brother is strong but he is pathetic. I cannot say what he went through because I was not there through it all. I remember …" he trailed off, his eyes misty in remembrance.

They leaned forward, they all wanted to know about the mystery of Itachi, he was a deeply disturbed young man make no mistake but they all wanted to understand.

"What happened to him? Sasuke I want to understand him, I want to know about him since he knows so much of me but won't tell me" she said softly almost innocently and he nodded briefly taking a large breath.

"The night after our parent's death we were in hospital, something to do with shock I don't really remember why we were there. He was having a nightmare and he suddenly stopped breathing. They resuscitated him, it took almost twelve minutes, and he was soo pale. I don't think they noticed the eight year old peeking out from under a table terrified." He swallowed loudly and Sakura grasped his hand.

"When he woke, the big brother I knew was gone. He wasn't really there, just an empty shell. He didn't respond to anything for two days, he was withdrawn rocking himself gently arms wrapped around himself. Two days later, after fear they had lost my brother to insanity, he surprised them by waking from the daze but he was never the same. I was alone now, the next month we moved hospitals to Konoha. There I met Sakura, who had been dreadfully ill, she was eight too" he finished

Hinata felt her heard breaking and she wasn't even in love with Itachi, she liked him so much possibly there was chemistry between them. She thought the world of him and she knew at that moment she would do whatever she could.

Whatever he needed, she would be there to give it until he could stand on his own two feet again. The moment the car stopped Hinata's heart did, sparks were going to fly and in the other limo the carefully made mask crumbled.

* * *

They all collected their luggage and made their way inside the huge house, they had to claim all the rooms as planned. Hinata went up to Itachi; he was standing motionless and breathing deeply. His long bangs covered his eyes despite the headband he wore to hold them back.

"I-Itachi, a-are you a-a-alright?" Hinata stuttered, worry consuming her and the brunette looked up at her, a small hint of a reassuring smile on his face but he was pale and he certainly didn't look fine. He obviously recognised the house as their old one.

"Just a little nauseous" was his reply before he walked past her. Hinata was worried, this was Itachi. He _**never **_felt nauseous. Nevertheless she followed after him quickly, not wanting to be left behind or to leave him to face the horror on his own.

Itachi felt his façade crack a little more under the pressure, his eye twitches as the rush of memories hit him. His head ached and his hands shook. He could almost hear the blood rushing through his ears. All of it. All of it was still the same!

The smell, the sight, the colours, the patterns, the furniture, he could even almost taste the spices his mother used in their meals. Mikoto was never one to let the servants into her kitchens. They had the general butler and the gardener and of course Sasuke's nanny and the chauffeur.

He had _**promised!**_

Itachi would never ask something from his brother unless it was vital and he couldn't do it himself. The boy had promised, Itachi had given him trust and it had been broken viciously. He could feel his anger growing. His eyes stinging in the way that told him they were no longer onyx.

He had asked his brother to sell this house, to get rid of it, to make sure no one could ever find it. no the idiot couldn't do that. Did Sasuke hate him so much that he wanted him to suffer and relieve that night five years ago so much?

He noticed Hinata was looking at him in concern and worry, she was shaking. He went over to her and lightly placed his hand in one of hers, Hinata could feel the soft coldness of his skin even through the thick leather glove; he ignored her surprised flinch and bent down slightly to speak into her ear.

"I don't want you to see me lose control, my room is the only one on the last floor and the key is in the soil of the flower pot on the floor below" he murmured softly.

She nodded

"Please understand" he whispered before he pulled back, Hinata could hear the strain in his voice, she looked up and was met with the black and red spinning wheels, gasped in awe. They were so beautiful; she had never seen something so pretty.

"Your eyes …" she trailed off.

He nodded and sighed,

"They are called the Sharingan, it's a family trait, more like a genetic defect. Just like your family and their pale eyes" he replied and she nodded. Though in comparison her eyes seemed so boring she would rather have his eyes any day.

"Be safe" she whispered touching his arm before the sounds of his brother coming towards them broke their spell and Itachi pushed her lightly to get a move on. She spared his face one last before she ran towards the stairs.

Sasuke walked towards is brother; Itachi's bangs were covering his cursed eyes. Sasuke felt his own anger swell up. Itachi was still hiding not facing it, his brother was a _coward! _It was wrong that others younger could do it and yet still he stalled.

"Foolish little brother." Itachi stated, his voice was silky smooth but it had serious offense and threat underneath it. Sasuke had no doubt if his brother had some sort of weapon he wouldn't hesitate to kill Sasuke, even if he were armed with a toothbrush.

"You can't talk you _coward!_" Sasuke snapped back and Itachi looked up. Sasuke took a step back in fear; his brother's Sharingan was spinning so fast, lines went down his face with strain to hold back his anger.

"You call _me _the coward?" Itachi asked almost seeming amused though his expression and stance quickly cleared any thought of his brother being amused.

"Dear little brother, compared what I went through I am _everything _but a coward. If I were a coward I wouldn't be here in front of you. I would have allowed myself to die to escape what I went through and the dreams that haunted me" he continued.

"You _are _a coward no matter what you say that is what you are **YOU** **COWARD!" **Sasuke yelled the sound bouncing off the walls and echoing around them. Then it hit him, it hit him so hard that Itachi burst in sporadic harsh laughter.

"It hurts you doesn't it. You came here to make me face it but you; little brother cannot face it yourself. _You _are the coward. Not me!" Itachi stopped his laughter as quickly as it came and walked up to his trembling brother.

"Don't fuck with me Sasuke, I do not jest; you will not like the result" Itachi whispered the warning before he turned to leave the large house. He heard the drips of his brother's tears as their hit the floor but he didn't stop.

Sasuke looked up and rushed forward,

"At least I tried to make things better; I wanted them to be as they were. You may hate it but we are family and I could have helped you" he shouted loudly. Itachi stopped his retreat but didn't turn to face his brother.

"You weren't there, you didn't _see _what I saw, you didn't hear their bloody gurgles, their screams, their pain. _You _weren't the one bathed in their blood. Heed my warning or more blood will be splattered" he commented before he continued his retreat.

Sasuke sunk to his knees in despair, he kept his head down and the sobs wracked his body. He wasn't the coward, he wasn't! his cries echoed the hall until a door in the distances creaked open and the next thing he knew was that he was embraced by a familiar warmth and the smell of roses.

Pink hair clouded his vision and he gladly buried his head into the pinkness and let go.

Sakura bit her lip and hugged him tight.

It hurt her to see them like this

It hurt because it showed just how broken they both still were.

"Where is Hinata?" Neji demanded

Sasuke didn't reply, he had almost gone completely limp against his long time girlfriend. Sakura looked at Neji and smiled weakly. She had seen the girl run upstairs and she knew that Itachi had sent her somewhere safe.

"Safe, you should be glad that Itachi cares for her" she whispered

Neji nodded stiffly and the two of them carried Sasuke to his room, his pinkette girlfriend lying with him, their stern friend breaking up the group still waiting in the living room on the floor below. It was early but it wasn't appropriate to stay up.

Not now.

**Meanwhile one lonely pale eyed girl was sitting on the roof rail and watching as the boy she liked rode off quickly, on a super bike. She prayed for his safety and there she sat crying, awaiting his return.**


	8. Old Friends

**Chapter seven: Old friends **

"Sasori don't be such a stubborn jackass un"

The twenty year old red headed, bored, childish looking young man glared at the blonde,

"Just accept that I am right and you are wrong un, art isn't meant to last forever un. No that would be so tasteless so boring un" the rather girly voiced blonde continued. He was really quite stunning for a nineteen year old teenage _boy_, bright blue eyed, long silky blonde haired. Soft, clear and pale skin any young person would be jealous of. He was ... pretty.

They all seemed to think he was a teenage girl trapped in the body of a really rather feminine guy.

"Be silent Deidara, I don't want to have this conversation again. Where the hell did Kisame go?" Sasori snapped annoyed, it annoyed him when he was left at home with the blonde. The two of them were artists, different artists that stood for different things.

Deidara believed art was made to go out with a bang and was more often than not found blowing up beautiful art sculptures in the many gardens, Sasori however believed that art was meant to last and enjoyed creating puppets, he also saved whatever of Deidara's sculptures he could.

Another person that was just coming in through the grand doors started giggling, it sounded like a little girl and it seemed she had heard the conversation they had just been having. "Bored-kun his name is Tuna-chan right Deidei-chan?" she reminded them both with childish innocence.

Both young men looked at her with veins popping out of their heads, the young girl seemed to enjoy making the most strange and humiliating names for them, they didn't mind it when she was just talking to one of them but if they were in public or other members were there, they hated when she addressed them as such.

Especially Sasori and Deidara, since the two of them were always fighting and they would often taunt each other with the ridiculous names she gave them.

"Silence Mei, I have told you many a time not to use those pathetically childish names, you are starting to get older now. We have names and you should call us by them!" the red head chided angrily and the young ten year old child looked well and truly chastised.

Her bottom lip wobbled slightly and her eyes watered but she nodded and apologised, only to then give a big smile and sit on a nearby chair with her dolly where she began telling her doll just how mean her 'Deidei-chan' and her 'Bored-kun' were.

"Sasori she is just ten years old, she is still a child don't make her grow up too fast like us and besides did I hear you say the bad word for underworld in front of her. Don't take away her innocence!" ordered the very strange coloured twenty one year old.

He was the oldest with such pale skin that he looked blue, his face was littered with scars on each cheek which made out to look like three gills, adding his small dark but sharp penny-like eyes, he looked like a giant humanoid shark.

"Kisame, this isn't a matter of her growing up too fast, she is ten years old and she still acts like she is six. She doesn't even go to school don't you think it _is _time for her to begin to grow up?" Sasori asked, none of them had any parenting training but to him that just seemed to be common sense.

If only Itachi had still been with them.

He had been gifted a good background education and had grown up wise, not to mention he had a younger brother so he had observed how he had grown up too, he would have been able to sort Mei out properly, they were spoiling her too much.

"See Tuna-chan, he is so mean to Mei!" Mei whined and Kisame moved forward to give the young girl a stiff hug. Then he seemed to remember something as he pulled back suddenly and turned to face the door.

The light was so bright that they couldn't see what or who he was looking at.

"You don't have to wait outside you know, you were the one who bought this house for us all, you are welcome whenever you want you aren't a stranger to us," Kisame soothed softly and the other three's eyes widened.

There could only be one person.

The young man stood next to the six foot giant and they all stared at him in amazement. Compared to Kisame he looked tiny and ill and compared to when they had last seen him, he had lost so much more weight.

It was him …

"I-I-Itachi?" Mei stammered.

Itachi looked at her and then quickly looked away, he shouldn't have come. He remembered how he left them, they had all been so mad at him. Angry that he had betrayed them, they had all promised they would be together till they made it. Some promise that had been ...

However Mei surprised him, the young ten year old girl squealed and ran at him, knocking him down to the ground as she began poking him and funny enough he didn't find it awkward to be touched by her at all. Not that he could ever find it strange to be touched by any of them, they were almost as close – no – closer than his family had ever been. They had seen him in ways that his own family had never. They had been his rock, his support and he had let them all down.

"Hai Mei-chan" he replied softly and they all looked at him, something was off with him, he needed their help and support again. He seemed almost, well, almost like a broken doll and he needed them to put him back together again.

Deidara looked at his old friend and was happy, he had missed Itachi, they all had, even if they wouldn't all admit it.

Sasori refused to look at his face, he was so mad, "Why the hell did you come back? We all know you are just going to leave again" he snapped angrily, his fists shaking at his sides in his anger. Itachi got up and helped Mei up before dusting himself down.

"I don't belong here anymore Sasori, my family was killed here, I don't expect you to understand, you don't have a family other than us. I'm here for a month deal with it because you can't do anything about it" Itachi told him coldly as if gaining his old self back.

Sasori smirked.

"Don't think you can keep doing this to us Uchiha, you may have us now but if you don't take us for granted you may come back and only find a house. Don't put the kid through this or else I'll be paying you a visit. No matter where you hide." he muttered before retreating to his room.

"Well it's been a long day, I'll go put Mei to sleep and leave you two to talk. Itachi if you come back tomorrow we can have a little chat too. No matter what Sasori thinks, we are always here for you if you need us, we're all each other have got" he said before picking the sleepy girl up and carrying her upstairs.

Deidara looked at Itachi curiously once Kisame was out of sight,

"Why are you here un? Did something happen un? I know what it's like to lose people as do all of us here but we have to face our inner demons, you can't keep running Itachi. It's painful but I know you are strong enough" the artist said softly, almost awkwardly.

Itachi looked at him in confusion, their group had promised to never tell their stories to each other because they believed that what happened in the past needed to stay where it belonged in the past. The blonde seemed so much different.

"Something happened?" he asked and the girly blonde artist sighed and pushed the waterfall of hair away from his face. They had really suffered some shit while Itachi left them, it wasn't fair that he had to be the one to explain but he figured if he didn't then the brunette would be left in the dark.

"Too much to even begin to tell you, Sasori can't help but blame you, his life has never been good Itachi but when we were all together, he had the chance to be happy. It was like the storm clouds had finally left. When you left us it was permanent death and destruction, he just doesn't want to have false hope that's all" he explained sadly.

Itachi knew it was hurting the blonde to speak of it as he had dropped his suffix, it was odd to say the least.

"What happened to Mei, she seems different from before when we saved her?" he asked and Deidara laughed,

"You mean when you saved her un? Don't you remember that you saved her from death" the artist smiled and the Uchiha nodded as he remembered her frightened pink eyes begging him to never leave her, her thin scantily dressed body and her dirty matted purple hair.

"I remember very well, how could I not, I was the one who hurt her," he said and Deidara looked at him sceptically. That wasn't how it was at all, for such a smart person Itachi could be really very stupid when he wanted to be

"You hurt her by leaving, you were her hope for a better future un. You saved her from falling into herself and becoming a recluse like you are now un. You need to take her out of here, with missions being thrown at us left right and centre from Akatsuki headquarters we need you to take her out un. She looked at you as her father and when you left, there was nothing to be happy about, no joy, no point, and no soul." Deidara told him frankly.

"What happened you all seem so-" the artist snorted cutting him off.

"Wise? Old? Well you're wrong un. We aren't older or wiser, you are the one who is young and inexperienced. You speak of loss and hurt but what have you really seen. We have experienced so much loss and death of young life beyond what you could imagine." Deidara's eyes hardened.

"Yuuka and Jet are in hospital. Yuuka was shot and Jet had six shattered ribs and his arm was snapped, there were complications. The doctors believe they are in a short coma but who knows," Itachi quickly sobered up after hearing that.

"What?!" he stated eyes widening slightly before they went back to his emotionless mask.

"Yes un. She was defending your name, we didn't tell her that you left, she thought you were dead. She was shot close to her heart, they removed the bullet successfully but she didn't wake up. Jet was traumatized but then he went to see Leader and he didn't come back, admitted to the hospital in a coma. Shattered ribs and arm" Deidara told him.

"Will they live?" Itachi asked, he didn't know what he would do if his sister or brother were dead.

Deidara shrugged.

"We haven't gone to see them, we couldn't face their still bodies un. Mei keeps begging because that was the only way she could see you by looking through them un. Kisame told us that he had a message from Leader to leave them and that it was their punishment un.

Itachi stood up, it was pushing twelve and he really ought to be getting back to the house, he didn't know if Hinata would be waiting for him and he certainly didn't want to keep her waiting all night just for him not to come back.

"Itachi do me a favour un" the blonde asked when he noticed the brunette was getting ready to leave.

Itachi paused getting his things together and looked at the blonde waiting for him to say what he wanted Itachi to do for him. It was probably something to do with Mei and he would be more than willing to do it.

"Tomorrow pick Mei and take her to meet that special lady friend of yours, never thought you would go for a Hyuuga un" he winked with a knowing smile and Itachi stared at him slightly shocked. No matter what the blonde never ceased to amaze him

"Well what do you want me to do un? Sit on my ass all day and become a hunch back like Sasori's puppet? No thanks un! I knew that you had been back the very moment you landed here" he gloated flicking his hair again and Itachi chuckled darkly.

"Tell Mei to be ready by twelve thirty" he told the other before walking towards his bike. With one last nod to his friend he was off, weaving between the few cars on the road.

Deidara smiled, it was good to have his good friend back. Itachi was like his little brother and he would give him advice even if he literally stabbed him in the back, Sasori just needed to lighten up, in many ways they were alike both blaming others and themselves for the loss of their families.

_**As Itachi sped home, Deidara walked to the Mei's room and smiled at the peaceful sight as she smiled in her sleep holding on to her favourite teddy; the very one she threw under her bed because it reminded her too much of him, it was now safely back in her arms and he could almost see the smile the teddy gave him!**_


	9. Tonight Under The Stars

**Chapter eight: Tonight Under The Stars**

Despite how late it was, it was actually a really nice time to go for a ride, it definitely helped clear his head and ponder on everything his blonde friend had told him. However it also cleared his head so that he could go back and deal with the female Hyuuga in his room.

He didn't know how Deidara knew about her but then again the blonde had always been resourceful, it wouldn't have surprised him if Deidara had something to follow him around in Konoha, it really wouldn't have surprised him since he sometimes felt like he was being followed.

By the time Itachi arrived back, the lights in the house were almost all off. The air was so still it was almost as if they had been asleep ages before he had arrived back. It wouldn't have surprised him though. After shouting at Sasuke the boy would have gone to sulk.

He wasn't crazy enough to allow his friends to have run of the house while he was busy sulking that was one thing he could be sure of.

He slowly and silently made his way up to his room, now that he was here again it occurred to him how ugly their huge house was, his father had a weapons company and he just noticed just how many weapons were lying around the house.

His father was also a very paranoid man.

Big help that had been when it came to his demise.

When he reached his room he punched in the code and entered, he guessed that Hinata had fallen asleep as he didn't see her figure on the roof when he pulled in on his bike. Just to make sure he looked towards the balcony of the roof and was shocked to see two pale saddened eyes watching him.

He flicked the little floor star lights on and watched as she was slowly illuminated, her face puffy and her eyes red. He suddenly felt like he had indirectly upset her with his actions, he had been so blinded by rage at his brother that he could barely remember what he had said to him.

"I was beginning to wonder if you were going to come back" she said meekly, her voice sounding raw as if she had been screaming or something however he was positive that she hadn't been. It was probably just because she had been crying.

She walked over to him and hugged him tight, knowing that he was too shocked by her bold actions to bother to resist or move out of her grasp. When she stepped back he looked at her with what she couldn't understand as confusion and inner torment.

"You cried? Why?" he asked curiously the unspoken, 'was it me' was lingering in the air. She shook her head frantically; she didn't want him to think he had hurt her at all. She had just been so worried.

She was so sure that he was going to kill Sasuke or something.

When she voiced this he sighed slightly.

"I didn't mean to worry you, I'm sorry" he replied and Hinata couldn't help but notice that standing there he looked so tired of life and she immediately thought the worst was going to happen to him. That was one thing she couldn't allow.

"Please don't do it?!" she begged in a quiet whisper into his chest when she grabbed him again ignoring his intake of break. He pulled back slightly to look at her, he looked genuinely confused by her words and for that she was grateful.

"Don't let life take you away! You look so tired of life, I can't understand and yet I know that you aren't ready to go. There is something you have to do and I won't let you go until you do it! you will be rewarded for all your pain and suffering" she told him desperately as tears trickled.

He sighed and looked down at her, she really was good at reading the most impossible people.

"I won't give up, even if it's just for your sanity" he smiled slightly looking down at her and she looked up with a suddenly shy smile, he couldn't help but let out a chuckle that surprised her, he never laughed and even when he just chuckled it lit up her world.

"Itachi, where am I going to sleep? There are no more spare rooms and I wanted to check but I over heard Tenten as she walked past, well I also heard that they purposely made it so that I had to share your room with you" she blushed

Itachi looked deep in thought and then he finally smirked and tapped her little button nose.

"I guessed they would. Do you have a problem sharing with me? You can have the futon if you want, we haven't really known each other long" he pointed out and she blushed deep red and turned to lok away.

"Don't let me keep you from your sleep, I can take the floor fine" she said and he broke away from the embrace and lifted her chin with his gloved fingers so that she looked up into his onyx eyes, he would make her understand it was either they shared the bed or he got the floor.

"Nonsense, when there is a bed the lady takes it, besides I can get a good view of the stars from the floor, I'm not really ready to turn in" he told her quietly and internally smiled when she blushed redder and he could guess that she was going to stutter her reply.

She really was too cute sometimes.

"D-Don't b-be s-silly, i-if y-you d-don't m-mind m-me w-we c-can s-share t-the b-bed, t-there i-is e-enough r-room a-and I-I d-don't w-want y-you t-to g-get s-sick i-it i-is w-warmer u-under t-the s-shelter" she stuttered.

He grinned wider internally '_**bingo',**_

He nodded and steered her towards the long sized futon. They both turned their backs towards each other as they got ready to sleep. Itachi was so quick that she still didn't get to see his hair. It annoyed her but she was willing to wait to see it.

Finally the two of them slipped into the rather thick sheets of the futon and got comfortable and though they were not touching, they face each other. Both were tired and looked drained but for completely different reasons.

"Itachi?" Hinata whispered since he had closed his eyes and he opened them so they were half lidded as if to let her know that he was listening to her even though his eyes weren't completely open. He probably wouldn't even sleep.

He was just resting his eyes.

"Please don't leave me out anymore if your going to leave please take me with you, I don't want to be left behind, I want to be with you so I can make sure that you are going to be okay" she whispered and he stared at her in deep thought.

Finally as if one side of him won whatever he was thinking about he slowly wrapped an arm around her, as not to frighten her with any sudden movements. At first she stiffened and as she got used to it she relaxed and moved a little closer but not so that he would be uncomfortable.

"I will not leave you unless I have too, no matter if you don't care if I hurt you I do and I want you to relax because no matter what I will not hurt you" he told and she nodded though it was forced. As the time ticked on they began to drift until Itachi remembered what Deidara wanted.

"Hinata? You were saying you didn't want to be left, an old friend wants me to take another friend out to the park, she is ten years old and rather different she saw something that she shouldn't have when she was younger and I helped her, she lives with my friends, I want her to meet another girl" he said and she looked at him happily.

"Of course I would love to go what is her name, is there anything I should be weary of, is there anything she doesn't like that I can change?" she asked suddenly panicked and he chuckled and moved a little closer to her,

"Just make sure you like her, she is afraid of people not liking her and in that view she tends to attack people, her name is Mei" he stated and she looked happy.

"Thank you for inviting me Itachi, it sounds like good fun, I hope she will like me" she whispered before falling asleep soundly, Itachi smiled and closed his eyes, his chin resting on her head.

_**She was like his guardian angel, his own little moonlight princess and soon he would tell her what it is she wants to know!**_


	10. Tenten's 'Little' Problem

**Chapter Nine: Tenten's Little Problem  
**

The next morning came quicker than anyone would be able to imagine, it felt like she hadn't been asleep very long before Hinata was vaguely aware of something … or rather someone moving on her bed and disturbing her. Though many wouldn't believe it, Hinata got very violent when her sleep was disturbed.

Not happy by this disturbance she let out a growl and hugged her warm pillow tighter to her chest, whoever was disturbing her seemed intent on pulling the pillow away from her head. It didn't even occur to her that it wasn't a pillow she was holding but in fact an important part of another person's body.

Or the fact that they might just happen to want that part of their body back, when she felt another tug she whined in an almost beg that the person left her to sleep before she was gifted an amused chuckle in reward. She let go of the pillow at once and her eyes flew open in shock of having someone watch her sleep, when she happened to see was Itachi watching her with a strange look on his face and the fact that she had been holding his arm.

She blushed bright red.

Despite being the next morning it was still very early and she could only just see the sun peeking out from the clouds, she couldn't think why on earth he was getting up at such a time, she was so busy in her thoughts that she almost jumped when she heard the door shut loudly.

Looking across she noticed it was Itachi coming out of the bathroom as he finished tucking his hair into his red and black infamous cloak. Her brows furrowed, had he already forgotten what they had spoken of, he was leaving her behind yet again.

"Where are you going? It isn't even light can't you go later?" she asked tiredly with a pout, as she rubbed her eyes. Itachi slowly shook his head, it wasn't that he didn't want her to go or that he couldn't go later, he just wanted to set some things up and check on things elsewhere.

"I want to stay but there are things to be done," he murmured silkily and she nodded in understanding as he went towards the main door. He seemed to pause with his hand on the door before he turned back to look at her with calm, understanding eyes.

"I'm not leaving you behind. I'll have Mei when I get back, please be ready," he added and when he noticed her still pouting expression he walked back over to her and ruffled her hair playfully.

"Sleep. I will be back soon," he told her almost affectionately before he turned and left the room. Hinata yawned and lay back down, she was really tired and he had said that he would be back soon. She guessed he needed some time to adjust to the fact that someone cared about him.

She didn't blame him at all and she was willing to wait as long as needed after all she didn't want to drive him away but instead drive him closer to her.

* * *

Tenten curled tighter into herself, she couldn't believe what had almost happened to her, she didn't know how long she had been outside their room now but she was afraid to even lean against the door, frightened that with a burst of strength he would bust it down and drag her back into hell.

She had always known something like this would come to her, she had always known! Watching all those soap operas she had known that one day she would sympathise with the characters that dealt with the abusive drunken boyfriend.

Itachi climbed down the last step and saw the girl huddled in her skimpy underpants, he could have turned back and pretended he hadn't seen her, heck he could have walked straight past her but no matter how heartless people thought he was he couldn't leave her there.

He walked up to her silently and placed a gloved hand hesitantly on the small of her back, when she flinched and whimpered in fear he stepped back and held his hand up in surrender, she looked up through teary big brown eyes and he felt his heart; however small it was; clench.

The two watched each other wearily as if expecting the other to verbally attack them before Itachi sighed gently to himself and unclipped his cloak, he didn't know how many of his precious cloaks he had lost but if he lost another he was going to go crazy.

He covered her cowering form with it and straightened it out so that she could sit up without fear he would stare at her uncovered chest despite the fact he really wasn't interested in her at all. Wrapping it tightly around herself Tenten looked at him with her head cocked to the side.

She almost reminded him of a curious kitten, starving and weak that had just been given a bowl of milk by a kindred soul. He turned to go back to his room, he had nothing of comfort that he could say to her and he was sure she needed a friend.

"Why?" the girl asked in a quiet whisper as if scared that any louder and dogs would come to chase her off, Itachi stopped and looked back at her before shaking his head and walking back towards his room, he really didn't have an answer.

"I'll get Hinata," was his only reply.

* * *

Hinata almost jumped when she heard the door open, she was just about to fall back asleep when she heard the door open, she rolled over her brain still thick with sleep and was about to nod off when she felt an arm on the skin of her arm.

She opened one pearly lavender eye and was surprised to see Itachi back already, she looked at the clock near her and was surprised to see that the time hadn't much changed since he left; it had been three minutes at the most.

"Itachi … what?" she asked sleepily and he sighed again, it was really becoming of him.

"A friend of yours seems to be in need of a friend right now" that was all he needed to say before she was wide awake and jumping out of bed, ignoring his cocked eyebrow she tugged on a cloak from his wardrobe, a plan black one and slipped her feet into a pair of his shoes.

Itachi decided to not bother her about his clothes and the two of them left the room, the moment Hinata saw the cowering girl she rushed towards her and knelt down, she looked about at Itachi and though he looked indifferent she knew he was concerned too.

"Go, it's alright" she whispered and he nodded hesitantly before he slowly made his way to his destination. Hinata crawled closer to Tenten and slowly wrapped her arms around her in comfort; the sobbing distressed girl gladly accepted the hug.

Even though she made no movement she cried on her friend's shoulder and when she had no more tears to cry she simply whimpered until she had finally managed to calm herself down. Once she had calmed her fast heart she looked up at her friend with a weak smile, her eyes wide and pain filled.

Hinata slowly took her arms away, she hadn't the idea what could be wrong with her and she was confused when she noticed the keys to the room were turned locked in the door from the outside instead of the inside.

"Thank you" the girl smiled and Hinata nodded, she was glad to be of help but she wondered what had happened between them, she was really very worried. Tenten bit her lip, she knew she could trust the girl.

"Is everything alright?" Hinata asked though in truth she knew it wasn't, she just didn't know what she could say without making the other girl sad when she asked her to say what had happened. Whatever it was she guessed it involved Lee.

However she didn't see the eccentric young man doing anything to hurt anyone.

"It started when we came upstairs" she whispered averting her eyes to the door in fear of what Lee would do if he knew she was telling someone else what he had done to her. She wasn't going to be weak; she knew he needed to pay for what he did.

* * *

"_Ah! The joys of youth did you see the mini fridges Tenten" Lee asked in excitement as he opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of straight vodka, he jiggled the bottle at Tenten with equally jiggling eyebrows.  
_

_Tenten looked at him in surprise, she didn't see how he could want to drink, sure they were on holiday but something truly awful had happened, hadn't he seen how terrible Sasuke looked after his brother had talked through to him.  
_

_Did he not understand the pain that one of his friends had been through and instead of honouring that he wanted to **drink **she shook her head, she didn't think he should and she was going to let him know that she didn't agree.  
_

"_I don't think that you should drink right now, you saw Sasuke. Everything is in shambles tonight can't you just wait until tomorrow?" she asked concerned and he just shook his head and opened the bottle throwing his head back as he took a few large swigs.  
_

_Tenten hid her disgust and decided to go and get ready for bed, she wasn't going to stay in the room and risk having a fight with her boyfriend when he was busy drinking, she knew he was very serious about his drink.  
_

_By the time she had finished getting ready and got back into the bedroom Lee had finished the bottle and was lying face down on the bed. She didn't know much about how quickly alcohol could affect people but Lee was affected really quickly. He always had been.  
_

_She also knew that she had to be careful, Lee had always been both an unpredictable and an unreasonable drunk and if she wasn't careful she could wake him up. She wasn't suicidal enough to find out what he would do if she did.  
_

_She moved slowly and quietly into the bed and turned off the light however it seemed it wasn't to be as he sat up and smirked at her wickedly, it seemed that he had been waiting for her to let her guard down and think he was asleep so that she wouldn't leave.  
_

_That was what she normally did when he was that way, she would leave his own and run back to her house with her guardian until she knew she was safe and locked in, he always got this mad look in his eye when he was drunk.  
_

"_I'm going to lock the door now, I don't want you to run off now do I?" he asked rhetorically as he stalked towards the door and turned the key in the lock, Tenten panicked, she knew exactly what this was all about.  
_

_Despite what her friends and the world thought of her, she hadn't even had sex yet, yes despite seeming to be one of the most horny people on the surface of the planet she hadn't actually lost her virginity, sure she had done pretty much everything else but she wasn't penetrated.  
_

_He slinked back to her and sat on top of her, he didn't want her to try and move now did he? He attack her neck roughly and left his mark along it, "You know it should be a crime to be so **sexy **I want you so bad but you just **won't **give in" he stated huskily nuzzling her neck.  
_

_Tenten shivered and started squirming as she tried to buck him off her, he seemed to find this funny as he laughed heartily and Tenten almost recoiled when the strong vodka breath hit her. He pinned both her wrists above her head with one hand and used the other to pull out a knife from under his pillow.  
_

_Tenten froze, he could do anything to her now and by the time he woke up he wouldn't remember, well at least he could claim not to remember what happened. He slowly began to cut through her pyjama top slowly singing a creepily merry song while he did so.  
_

"_Now dollface, you don't want to move or else who knows, I may just happen to cut you" he said in warning as he shined the blade in her face. The brunette ignored him, if he thought she was going to lie there like a submissive and take his shit he had another thing coming.  
_

_Sure she was terrified, in fact she was fucking mortified but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction. He shrugged as if unbothered as he 'accidently' slipped and shallowly cut down her side, after all he had **warned **her but she didn't listen.  
_

_Bloody slowly seeped to the top of her skin before it overflowed and ran down her flat stomach. Tenten couldn't stop the rush of tears, he was either going to rape her or kill her. She wasn't ready yet, it wasn't meant to happen like this, Lee wasn't like this **dammit!  
**_

_She sat still from then on and he carried on cutting her clothes singing softly to himself merrily and when he got down to the last of her clothing; her underpants he smirked in a cruel victory. Tenten knew she had to act.  
_

_It was either then or never. She could either whack him and knock him out or she could let him get his way with her, her hand fumbled around for something as he moved back up to kiss her. She almost cried out in happiness when her hands hit the bottle.  
_

_She made it seem like she was giving in when she began responding to the kiss and then she closed her eyes as the last of her tears seeped out before bringing the glass bottle down on his head as hard as she physically could.  
_

_He groaned loudly and fell forward and she was pleased for the sound prove walls. She pushed him off her and ran for the door adrenaline pumping through her veins, she fumbled with the key fighting her rising hysteria, she would give in to it once she was safe.  
_

_Once it was unlocked she shut the door and shakily locked it before sliding to the floor and then the tears came and fatigue and hysteria gripped her. She couldn't believe she had let him get so far, she curled up and allowed her tears to flow.  
_

_She was so scared and yet so happy she had escaped both alive and intact of her dignity._

* * *

Hinata was so proud of her, she had told the story strongly and fought hard against her tears, water gathered but she wouldn't let them fall no matter how cloudy her vision got. Hinata helped the brunette up and looked at the cut; she knew exactly who would take care of both it and her.

"Where will I go there are no more rooms for me to stay and I can't take the room that you and Itachi are sharing" she whispered as Hinata supported her down the stairs. Hinata smiled as they walked down the second flight of stairs.

"You don't have to you can stay with Neji. He will take care of you I know he will, don't worry about anything else but feeling better, what Lee did to you was wrong and don't you forget it, what you did was right!" The pale eyed girl said firmly, her pupil less pale lilac eyes glaring at the area ahead.

When she got to her cousins room she banged the door, she knew Neji was a light sleeper and smiled when she heard shuffling from the other side of the door. She had no doubt he was making himself decent and he would know it was urgent considering the time.

He opened the door quickly as she thought, his hair was down and his eyes still looked groggy but when he saw the state of Tenten, her wild chocolate locks covering her eyes and the tears falling he sobered up quickly.

Hinata lightly pushed past him strong with determination and sat the girl on her cousins bed, "Let her stay with you, don't be mad I know it's late but _she_-" Hinata began to whisper but before she could continue Neji held up a hand and nodded.

He didn't need to hear anymore. The two cousins eyes met, pale lilac and snowy white, an agreement went between them silently. No matter what happened they would protect Tenten until she was back to herself.

He nodded and when she noticed the determination had been brought out in his eyes she knew Tenten was in safe hands. Feeling the tiredness catch up with her she yawned and retreated back to her and Itachi's room. She still wanted to get some sleep before she had to meet this young girl.

Neji shut his door and moved to get his first aid box from a shelf. He sat next to her the green box on his lap. He gently pushed the cloak off her shoulder; growing more confident when she didn't object. He turned her so he could get better view of the wound.

His hands worked hard to make sure the wound didn't infect and his eyes stayed focus, not once straying anywhere else. Once it was done he smiled at his work and gave her a shirt to use. She put it on before crawling into his large bed.

He followed suit after switching off the light but he was sure not to get too close in case she wanted space, she automatically moved close to him and he opened his arms to her, she accepted the hug and let her tears flow once more.

Neji looked down at her, she was beyond upset he couldn't even relate to what she had been through but he was worried about her. He wrapped his arms around her and very soon after that she was fast asleep.

He promised himself that he would protect her, Itachi was right, becoming Tiara's 24/7 boyfriend had made him blind to his friends problems and if she needed help then he would sacrifice his own happiness to make sure she was safe no matter what!

He smiled and held her limp body even closer to his own, he didn't care if they found out about this, she needed him and secretly he needed her too.

**_With those thoughts the Hyuga boy fell asleep next to the girl he had secretly always loved and he wouldn't ever let her get hurt again!_**


	11. A Day At The Park

**Chapter ten: A Day At The Park**

Hinata was exhausted, she was one that couldn't stand broken sleep, once she was awake it didn't matter if she went back to sleep she wouldn't get anymore rest than what she had had prior to waking. However she was glad that she had been woken.

Goodness knows what would have happened if she hadn't been awake to look after the poor girl, goodness what if Itachi hadn't decided to go out. Tenten would have been curled up outside the door well into the morning.

Nevertheless she continued to sleep without gaining any rest well into the morning and she didn't hear the alarm that was set to wake her two hours before the arrival of Itachi's guest. In truth with all the excitement during the early morning she had forgotten about the girl.

She turned over and snuggled into the covers with a soft groan as she fell into a much more comfortable position, she thought she caught whispering voices and a girlish giggle but writing it off as her subconscious trying to drag her back into a dream.

Just as she was just about to drift off she squirmed as she felt a poke in her side. She pulled the covers over her head and turned over once more but the persistent poking wouldn't stop. She opened her eyes ready to lambast whoever was bothering her only to scream when she was met with two sparkling pink eyes.

Hinata screamed and backed against the head board, she didn't know who else had the keys Itachi's room but it really wasn't appropriate for them to do such a wicked thing to an innocent sleeping person who had been exposed to such a rough night.

Shaking her head of her thoughts she cocked her head to the side in confusion, the owner of those sparkling pink eyes was giggling, she was the size of a ten year old but she carried herself like an eight year old. Joining her unusual eye colour was her unusual dark purple hair.

She was wearing a black dungarees dress with one of the buckles undone and a white polo shirt underneath. She grinned at the flustered young woman and giggled again, her Itachi always picked up such _strange _friends.

"Is _this _Hina-chan?" she asked childishly turning her head and Hinata followed her actions only to blush when it landed on Itachi who nodded, he was leaning against the bathroom door looking so very amused, then it hit Hinata like a ton of potatoes.

She was already meant to be ready!

She instantly went into panic mode, she bowed at them at least ten times before she pushed Itachi out of the way of the bathroom door and ran in slamming the door, only to find she had forgotten her clothes and had to run back out to collect clothes from her suitcase.

"I-I-I'm s-so s-s-sorry I'm running late just one minute please" she bowed once more; her clothes in her arms as she ran back into the bathroom and slammed it shut for the second and last time. They then looked at the door in shock when they heard a smash and a cry of shock from the timid girl.

"Everything alright?" Itachi asked, he would have called or something before they came if he knew that the woman would get so flustered at being late. Mei was in hysterics holding her stomach as tears of mirth poured down her cheeks.

"F-F-Fine?? Y-y-yes …. E-everything is fine" Hinata stuttered back only to squeal when another smash happened. Itachi didn't bother to ask as he was obviously not helping her panicked mad rush to get ready.

"She's so ditzy Ita-chan" Mei managed to squeeze out before she fell into another fit of laughter.

Itachi cocked an eyebrow at the nickname but didn't bother to comment.

"Maybe you should try and talk to Saso-kun, he seems really upset with you, we haven't seen him since you left yesterday and even Deidei-chan couldn't persuade him to come out" Mei whispered seriously and Itachi regarded her curiously.

After a few moment of waiting Hinata literally zoomed out of the bathroom at high speed her face bright red in embarrassment at being late when she had been warned, she stuffed all her belonging into her suitcase before slamming it shut and taking a deep, deeeep, deep breath.

When she had calmed and her face was back to its healthier colour she turned around and bowed once more in apology, "Pardon my lateness, I had to sort some things out early this morning and I'm really quite tired" she explained.

Itachi nodded seeing as he knew what had kept her and Mei just followed, if Itachi was okay to accept her apology, then she didn't see why she couldn't as well after all she had apologised so many times already.

"Can we go now please?! You promised that I could show Hina-chan my secret garden _before _we went to the swings and you _know _how _quickly _they are taken!" Mei whined pouting at Itachi, the brunette rolled his eyes, if he fell for the look every time he had seen it the girl would be a princess swimming in chocolate, ramen and toys.

Itachi nodded and Mei grinned, her eyes sparkling before she grabbed hold of Hinata's hand and ran out the room dragging her along, Itachi shook his head and followed after at a much safer pace, he just hoped the two wouldn't trip on the stairs and break their necks on the way down.

* * *

"Which car can we take Ita-chan?" Mei asked and Hinata was relieved when the girl let go of her hand, she wasn't used to such a hyperactive young child, Hanabi and herself had always been under a tight leash and her family didn't tolerate wild rowdy children.

"Whichever car you wish" was the quiet reply given to her and Itachi made sure he was standing well away and almost felt sorry for Hinata when the girl suddenly screamed high pitch demonstrating her happiness at getting to pick.

Itachi winced from the shrill and he was on the other side of the 10-car garage, Hinata covered her eats and stuck her finger in them when they started to ring afterwards, next time she would be far, farrr away when the girl was excited.

On another note Hinata didn't think she had ever seen so many cars, there was probably enough there for everyone in her family, it was a 10-car garage and yet there were so many more than that, a single of the 10-car garage was like the size of a normal double garage.

"The Hummer!" the girl yelled running over to the car, Hinata resisted the urge to find ear plugs, she didn't think she had ever been so scared of losing her hearing before. Itachi chuckled and shook his head as he collected the correct keys from the key safe.

The Hummer was of course his baby, he personally had three cars and two motorbikes and that didn't include his Hummer stretch though he preferred to drive himself rather than to be driven. He unarmed the car as he walked over to where they were waiting.

Mei jumped into the beast of a vehicle with practiced ease and looked triumphant; Hinata didn't understand how she was meant to get up and blushed as she literally had to climb to get up into the front seat.

* * *

Hinata learnt quickly that Itachi liked to bend the rules when he drove, she didn't think she had ever seen a person break so many rules in such a short car journey, it was a miracle they weren't killed, no doubt if it wasn't such a beast of a car they would have been.

However being realistic unless you were driving a juggernaut no one was suicidal enough to struggle roads with the huge vehicle unless they wanted to be flattened. Obviously Itachi knew this and therefore drove like he owned the roads.

When they reached the park they parked the beast easily taking up two car spaces and got out, Itachi moved to get a few things out the back of the vehicle whilst Mei started dragging Hinata across the park giggling like she knew a big secret.

"Close your eyes Hina-chan you are the third person to see this" she giggled and Hinata; not wanting to upset the girl did as she was told, she was clumsily led through what must have been a bush or few considering she felt twigs catch on her clothes and scratch her skin.

She was almost worried she would fall with the way the much smaller child kept pulling her arm down as she skipped along, "I'm here, just keep walking straight" she felt so much better once she realised that Itachi had caught up and was standing behind her just in case.

"Alright now open" the younger girl ordered and Hinata did as she was told, it was beautiful! Sure it was only a small corner of the park but it was completely closed off and almost like a secret hideout without a roof, there were so many different flowers around the closed off area.

"It's beautiful it must have taken such a long time!" she smiled and Mei grinned with a nod, it had taken her so much time and the help of her guardians of course only Deidara would actually help with the planting as the others were always too busy acting too 'macho'.

After a little longer of looking at the different flowers Mei complained that she was hungry and wanted to eat something with the lunch basket she had made Deidara prepare for them all, Itachi slowly and silently led them to a secluded spot where he placed down the blanket and the basket of food.

"Mei hopes you like ramen" Mei giggled and Itachi grimaced, there was nothing in the world he hated more than the cheap readily made meal. Hinata smiled, she personally loved the food but she just didn't often have the chance to indulge in it.

Hinata nibbled at hers with a smile while Mei loudly slurped her down spraying the area around her in bits of food, Itachi refused to touch his under any condition and just looked at it like it was the reason for all his troubles in the world.

"Aren't you going to eat that?! Deidara made it for you" Mei scolded as she finished hers and Itachi scowled, the blonde was probably laughing at him. The artist already knew how much he hated the snack.

"Knock yourself out" he replied in disgust and the girl's eyes lit up as she made a grab for the ramen before she began noisily munching her way through that as well. Itachi was worried that they had been feeding her on just ramen or even starving her watching as she quickly downed the food like it would run away from her.

"Hina-chan, you should always make sure that Ita-chan eats! He never seems to eat unless Kisame threatens him and it isn't healthy, he is all bone and he should be meaty but then all of our friends seem to be sticks, it isn't right" the girl continued to babbly about how unhealthy they all were.

Hinata was concerned, it wasn't good she noticed he didn't seem to eat much and he really was skinny. She was going to have to make it one of her goals to make sure he always ate something from his plate when they were together, he always seemed to move it around the plate but it never actually reached is mouth.

"Y-You r-really should e-eat something before you w-waste away" Hinata stated worriedly and Itachi glared at them both, he really didn't know why he had to keep repeating the same pointless line to everyone.

"I'm fine"

"Obviously you aren't fine if you aren't eating" Mei frowned and Itachi sighed, they were really going to give him a complex if they didn't stop talking about his weight and how much he ate. He couldn't help the fact he just wasn't often hungry.

"I'm not hungry, when I'm hungry I eat and when I'm not I don't," he explained quietly in an oh-so-obvious tone of voice

Mei stuck her tongue out when she realised that he was making fun of the fact she ate double portion when she could have been fine with just the one Deidara had originally made for her, though it wouldn't have been surprising if the blonde knew _she _would eat Itachi's.

He was weird like that.

* * *

"Let's go on the climbing frame!" Mei yelled excitedly once they had finished packing up their lunch into the basket the blonde had provided them with for the outing. Hinata nodded to Itachi and he stopped packing and let her continue as he walked up to the excited girl.

She reached for his hand only to have her hand slapped out the way before she could complain or pout he flung her up onto his shoulders with ease, though he did notice she was quite a lot bigger compared to when he left.

No more ramen for her that was for sure.

"Gide up horsey!" she screamed trying to urge him on and he rolled his eyes but indulged her by holding on to her legs and running towards the frame making unearthly …. _Un-Itachi-ish _horse noises as he did so in order to stop Mei whipping him.

Hinata giggled as she stood up to follow them at a much slower pace, they looked so happy. Itachi acted like an older brother that acted like he didn't much care for her when in the company of others but once alone would act like he was the same age as her.

When she reached them the two of them were each balancing on one of the four high poles that held the whole climbing frame up, Itachi stood perfectly still as if he had done it so many times before, one foot on the pole the other bent not unlike a standing flamingo.

Mei was trying to copy the style but was wobbling horrendously, Hinata was terrified of the injuries either would get if they fell from such a height but she didn't dare make a sound in fear she would startle them and they would fall.

So leaving them to their kamikaze game she walked to the swings and sat down, she didn't lift her feet to swing herself she just rocked gently and closed her eyes to enjoy the slight breeze rippling her hair so nicely.

Before long she felt herself moving backwards and forwards and her feet began to leave the ground, she opened her eyes to see she was being pushed by Itachi who was watching Mei, who was upside down on the frame smiling at Hinata's shocked face.

Hinata gasped as Itachi started to push her harder and she started to go higher and higher into the air, she could feel butterflies fluttering nervously in her stomach at every descent, she screamed when she felt the frame rock slightly and one hand left the swim chains to hold her fluttering dress down.

She didn't think she had ever had so much fun doing such a childish thing before.

Mei surprised Hinata by flipping down off the frame like she was a gymnast before coming over to swing on the swing beside her. Hinata was feeling so high and happy then she attempted to let go of the last hand holding on to the chain.

On her descent she forgot to hold on again and literally fell off the swing backwards; luckily for her Itachi was standing there so her landing was cushioned by his body as they were both knocked to the ground winded.

Mei was laughing so hard that she lost balance and fell off the swing she was sitting on backwards where she stayed with her legs up in the air as she fought to get her breath back from being winded, once she had her breath back she at once began laughing hard again and tears of mirth left her.

Itachi held a hand out for Hinata to help her up, smirking at the bright red blush on her face. Mei finally calmed herself and got up grabbing her chest as she wiped away the laughing tears that were left behind.

"I think you should leave flying to the professionals Hina-chan" was all she said before bursting into laughter again.

Itachi looked at Hinata in question as if debating whether to ask her something and Hinata looked at him noticing the look. It wasn't like him to be unsure but he always had this strange look on his face when he was pondering a question.

"Is something wrong?" she asked and Mei looked amazed,

"You can tell when Itachi wants to ask something?! WOW! Normally no one knows" she said and then she seemed to rethink her words because she giggled and slapped her head lightly.

"Oh yeah" she added, "except me" Hinata giggled whilst Itachi resisted the urge to shake his head.

"We need to take Mei back, do you want to meet the others maybe?" he asked unsurely and Hinata smiled feeling honoured, it wasn't often that he tried to invite her into meeting things and people that had something to do with his past.

Mei squealed and bounced on the spot,

"YES! You'll get to meet Deidei-chan, he knows everything! Even Kisa-chan, he is really nice, you'll love them" she babbled enthusiastically and Hinata's eyebrows furrowed as she recalled a name that the young girl had mentioned while she was in the bathroom that morning.

"Wasn't there also a Saso-chan?" she asked curiously and Itachi looked at her innocently, well as innocently as a young man of his calibre could look at her.

"Sas-chan? Never heard of her have you Mei?" he asked looking at the young girl with a wink and she smiled slyly like she knew something Hinata didn't as she decided to play along with their little joke, Hinata really wouldn't be ready to meet that bitter old sailor.

"What a funny name" she sniggered

The two of them looked at her with sly expressions and she looked between them baffled, she couldn't decide if they were messing with her or telling the truth. When their smiles widened into grins she frowned and looked at them in mock anger.

"Are you two messing with my head?!" she demanded and Mei set off at a dead run pulling Itachi along until he started running as well, the pale eyed girl running after them shaking a fist in mock anger; there laughter could be heard from yards around.

**_‑­_**

**_This was just the beginning of fun because now Hinata had to meet the rest of the gang Kisame and Deidara and if she was lucky she would also meet Sasori and the lot of them could be serious trouble when they wanted to be!_**


	12. A History

**Chapter Eleven: A history**

It was silent, that's all it seemed to be these days, it wasn't much like a holiday but considering where they were staying and who they were with Sasuke couldn't say that it wasn't highly appropriate to be in such a way.

At least it didn't make it hard for him to think, and think he did. He was wondering whether it was time he let his friends understand who his brother really was and why he might have come across as a raging lunatic.

He wasn't trying to justify his brother's actions because everyone out there knew that he hated his brother, despised him even. However even he couldn't argue that there were many reasons _why _he had turned out the way he was.

"Do you think that maybe it is time to let the others know?" he asked quietly.

His head was lightly cushioned by Sakura's legs; the two were in his room. Sakura reading one of her beloved romance books and Sasuke just left alone to do the thinking that he wished to … no; that he needed to do.

"Let them know what?" Sakura asked marking her page and putting her book to the side; Sasuke sighed and heaved himself into a sitting position where he could see Sakura's reaction perfectly, he didn't want her to make a choice based on what she thought he would want.

"Do you think that it is time to let the others know of my past … why Itachi is, the way he is now?" Sasuke started out unsurely and Sakura just looked at him with a soft smiled encouraging him to continue with what he wanted to tell her.

"I know that they think that he is just a cruel person but I know that somewhere in him is my Itachi but … he is just locked up tight inside so that he can't be hurt again. I also know that that Itachi, my Itachi is just alone and lonely. Do you think I need to communicate that to the others?" he asked; voice stronger.

When Sakura opened her mouth to reply he cut her off,

"Don't think that I suddenly like him or think that what he has … is doing is okay because it isn't and I know that. I resent him, despise him even and … but … well I just think that the others shouldn't feel bad about him until they know why I do" he added and Sakura smiled a little wider.

She was proud of him that he had come to an important thought and decided to share it with her. No matter how much the fight with Itachi had hurt him; it seemed that Sasuke had learnt something valuable from it.

"I won't pretend that the others don't want to know because we both know that would be a lie, I think you should because as much as it may be painful to tell they need to understand that it isn't right for them to hate him when they don't understand" she told him and he nodded.

It had been easier than he thought it would be. Then he remembered something else that he wanted to check out whilst he told them the story; something rather strange that had come to his attention earlier in the day.

However before he could voice it Sakura did,

"It would give us a chance to perhaps study Tenten and Neji, I saw Neji moving her things into his bedroom while Tenten kept herself shut up in there. Lee hasn't really spoken to anyone except for when Tiara went up to bully him into shopping with her" she voiced and Sasuke nodded.

They both smiled at each other and stood up, it was settled then.

* * *

It didn't take long for them all to be collected together, most of them had been sleeping it seemed which would make sense as to why the house had been so quiet. It also spoke for the fact they were mostly in strange states of dress and had serious cases of bed head.

It was also clear that the thing going on with Lee and Tenten had captured most of the groups attention as they were trapped between watching Tenten and her hand attached to the side of Neji's shirt and Lee looking like a kicked puppy.

They were also baffled by the stern angry look on Neji's face and Tiara's scowling face, no one was really sure what had happened but they could certainly tell it was all connected together and included all four.

"Tenten is everything alright?" Ino asked being the only one brave enough (and curious enough) to break the ice and ask the question that was bugging them all. The brunette girl didn't look up, her thick chestnut locks covering her eyes.

"Fine Ino why?" was the pathetic quietly soft response that clearly didn't convince anyone that the normally strong brunette was fine but Neji's face didn't give anything away and Lee and Tiara weren't likely to add anything.

"Nothing! I was just wondering since we haven't really talked this holiday" she smiled with a quick cover not that the other girl could have guessed since her thick locks covered her eyes, they couldn't see her so it was highly likely that she couldn't see them either.

"Why have you called us here Sasuke?" Naruto whined scratching his head and further messing up his already bird nest resembling hair. Sasuke sighed and took a deep breath; he wondered how they would all take it.

"I know that you are all curious about Itachi and I would be too if I were an outsider but I want you to know that you shouldn't fear him or hate him" he began and it seemed by the response of everyone's faces that it hadn't been a good one.

"Why shouldn't we fear him **HUH**?!" Tiara loudly protested, "Haven't you seen and heard what he did to half the guys at school, weren't you there when he ran out half of your house staff and rudely ignored those that came to help him?! Weren't you there when he attacked us all with a hose pipe?"

"Yeah! Didn't you hear that he broke a teacher's nose! And that he beat up the leader of one of the most notorious gangs just because they looked at him funny!" Ino continued with a semi shrill voice as she thought of all the awful rumours she had heard about him.

"But-" Sakura attempted to correct them.

"Shouldn't hate him? _Shouldn't **hate **him? _Sasuke have you been blinded, you expect us just to ignore all the horrible things he has ever done to you? You expect us to widen our arms and hug him while secretly he makes your life hell" Naruto yelled, his oceanic eyes now open and darkened.

"But-" Sakura attempted again only the noise in the room just seemed to escalate as they all made loud reasons why they shouldn't hate or fear Itachi Uchiha. All but three people, Neji who didn't see a point in changing their views, Tenten who had seen a side of Itachi that she couldn't imagine hating or fearing Itachi and Shikamaru who just couldn't be bothered and wanted to go back to his cloud watching.

"**Troublesome. **Simply troublesome" he sighed shaking his head and the sound just stopped, when he realised that he had unintentionally got everyone silent and their attention he murmured his annoyances once more when he realised he had to justify what was troublesome.

"Instead of jumping the gun shouldn't we just wait to see what Sasuke has to say? Then we can make our own choices and I'm sure he would be happy to leave you to debate among yourself while the more intelligent of us can go do something else" he stated in a lazy drawl.

"You just want to go back to your damn cloud you lazy slacker!" Ino yelled thumping him in the side and he grunted. Nevertheless no one else said a thing and they all looked to Sasuke; waiting for him to continue what he was saying.

"Getting people to hate and fear him is just part of his mask. Itachi … Itachi is all about making masks, if you can look past the masks then you can see the real him, just like Hinata and Mei; the little girl he was with this morning" Sasuke continued slowly.

"Are you trying to say that he makes masks to purposely hurt people and make them leave him alone" Naruto asked confused and Sasuke nodded, "But why? Why wouldn't he want to have someone to rely on?" he then asked.

"He does that so that he doesn't open himself up to hurt again. It is an incredibly human thing to do but the more common one seen is when someone uses a mask to hide their true selves so that others would like them better or whatever the situation" Neji added helpfully.

"How can this Mei see past these masks and why does he let her in?" Sakura asked, she hated to admit but despite the fact she knew more about Itachi than the others she was still horribly intrigued by him.

"I … well I cannot be sure actually, he didn't say and I never had the balls to ask him. I know that he saw himself in her and knowing that he hated himself he wanted to change her before she became like him" he told them quietly, thinking about his words before relaying them to his friends.

* * *

_Flashback _

_Sasuke was thirteen years old, his mother was a happy woman, or at least she acted like everything was fine and dandy and she always had a smile on her face whether it was an angry smile, worried smile or a happy smile._

_His father was a cold man that didn't believe in giving affection, he was the type to leave a baby crying when it was cold and hungry until it was silent before getting it what it desired. It wasn't often he was home since he mostly enjoyed sleeping over at his company but the days he did were always the worst._

_He didn't know how two so completely different people came together but he had never asked he was too afraid of the false smile from his mother as she sugar coated their meeting and was too afraid of the punishment he would get from his father for asking an unimportant question._

_His mother was a highly respected nurse that despite how good she was never took a promotion when it was offered stating that she loved her post and actually getting to help her patients face to face on the wards._

_His father was the owner of a huge weapons industry constantly making better, more high-tech and destructive bombs and guns. He had once over heard his father on the phone talking about a weapon they were developing that could destroy half a country but that it wasn't good enough because it couldn't destroy a whole country. _

_It was a special night, his father had decided to come home but once again Itachi hadn't come home in time for dinner despite the fact that he had a curfew to be back for because of the last time he had been in trouble with the police._

_His father was livid but his mother had just smiled one of her worried smiles but hadn't said a word as if worried that her husband would somehow scold her for saying something in the presence of his 'perfect' son._

"_Mother, why is Itachi always late for dinner, doesn't he care about us? We always tell him to be here early but he always finds a reason to be late" Sasuke complained sadly, he missed his brother. Itachi just seemed to be slipping away from him day by day and he was powerless to stop it._

"_Of course he cares for us" his mother smiled gently but that smile quickly turned irritated when Fugaku snorted but she didn't call him on it, she only paused dishing food and moved to give her youngest son a hug before walking back to the food pot._

"_Itachi is a big boy now that's all there is just so much that he wants to do that he forgets about the time and his family waiting for him. He doesn't mean to hurt our feelings he just gets swept up in all that he is doing" she continued before handing Sasuke his plate. _

_Sasuke grit his teeth and clenched his fists, his mother was sugar coating things again, she acted as if everything was alright but it wasn't and he knew it. Sasuke knew his brother was in a dangerous gang and that he skipped school and did things he shouldn't._

_He knew that is mother spent nights crying alone when Fugaku wasn't home and Itachi hadn't come back and he knew that his father was cruel to his brother and always tell him that despite his own perfectness he was throwing it away._

_He knew that was why Fugaku treated him like he was a goldmine, it was only because goldmine Itachi had run out of gold. Fugaku knew he wasn't going to get anymore more from Itachi so he moved to the younger hoping to make an example out of Itachi._

"_Don't mind your brother, he is confused but he won't be for much longer I will be sure to set him straight on his tracks if he doesn't shape up and be a better person to this family" Fugaku growled and Sasuke rolled his eyes._

_What his father really meant was that he would beat Itachi to a pulp if he didn't shape up and get ready to take over the business when he grew old and wanted to retire. Sasuke hated that they still thought he was innocent._

_He was thirteen dammit! _

_The trio began eating lost in their own thoughts and were surprised when the door suddenly slammed open, Mikoto immediately grabbed Sasuke and pulled him behind a counter as if worried it was a break in and Fugaku suddenly had a gun in his hand._

_No doubt a company prototype._

"_What the hell are you doing! Get that gun out of my fucking face!" Sasuke knew straight away it was Itachi but he didn't understand why his father hadn't moved from the door and why his mouth was wide open. Mikoto helped Sasuke up and led him back to the table to finish his dinner._

_Itachi pushed his father to the side and then Sasuke understood; in his brother's arms was an unconscious young girl dressed in a dirty nightie with no shoes and bruises covering every ounce of flesh that could be seen._

_Itachi himself was looking worse for wear and was favouring his right leg; walking with a limp. Sasuke quickly zoned back into what was happening when shouting erupted in the house, his father was yelling in Itachi's face for a number of things and Mikoto was trying to demand where he had been and how worried she was._

"_What the hell are you standing there questioning me for, will you help her out already?!" Itachi finally shouted reaching the end of his temporally short fuse. Normally he had better patience that a saint but it seemed being injured was grating on him._

_Mikoto nodded and carefully took the injured girl before rushing upstairs to grab her medical bag, Itachi sat next to his brother and pinched his folk before he began eating from Sasuke's plate. The thirteen year old didn't speak he just let it happen._

"_What the hell is going on in that head of yours boy!" Fugaku yelled closing in on the table, his voice seemingly shaking the walls. Sasuke sat closer to his brother's side, when their father raised his voice like this it always frightened him._

_Itachi ignored their father and paused eating to look down at his brother's frightened face and watery eyes before he pulled Sasuke closer to him and began eating again stopping every now and then to make Sasuke take a mouthful._

"_Are you listening to me?! **Itachi!** I am talking to you, I told you **never **to see those hooligans again, what in the hell were you thinking, are you insane do you want to die?! How many times do you have to make your mother cry and your brother worried before you calm down" Fugaku screamed; his eyes black and light red, spinning in a mess of colour._

_Itachi did as if he hadn't heard which only made the man scream louder and Sasuke began trembling in fear for what was going to happen however it was when Sasuke let out a whimper and a tear slid down his face that Itachi reacted._

"**_What the hell do you want from me! _**_Whatever fight you have with me don't bring it to the table you bastard. Don't you dare bring mother or Sasuke into this what do you even **know **about this family, God knows you aren't ever here!" Itachi stood up dragging up Sasuke who was clinging to him._

_The chair smashed against the floor and Sasuke stood wide eyed as he clutched his brother's side, he didn't make a squeak but tears slid faster down his face and he trembled harder in his cold hard fear. It might have seemed strange but he feared for their lives as his heart pounded faster._

"_Don't you speak to me like that Itachi I-" Fugaku was cut off._

"**_Shut up! _**_I have no respect for you, you are too busy selling your damn weapons to care about anyone but yourself. you speak that mother cries I bet you didn't know she spent nights speaking on the phone to friends at work over how you didn't seem to love her and how she knew you had another once and children before" he yelled back._

_Sasuke could feel his world ending, he hadn't known … they didn't tell him that he had others, other siblings. He felt physically sick and he wanted the floor to open up and swallow him in. he didn't want to deal with it anymore. _

_Constant fighting ruled their house._

"_I have **never **seen you look at Sasuke without somehow having a rant about me, why don't you just leave, this family would be so much better off without you. Maybe mother will come off her pills and Sasuke can just have time to grow up for himself" Itachi spat, voice filled with venom._

_Fugaku acted without thinking and slapped his eldest as hard as he could, "I couldn't give a shit about you and what you know, or what you think you know but if that girl dies I promise you that you will never see the light of day again, you or your precious little friends" he sneered before storming out the house and slamming the door._

_The silence was murder and Itachi just sighed, he could see that his little brother was in shock but there was nothing he could do about it now. He hugged his brother not surprised to see he was unresponsive, he picked him up and took him to his room and tucked him in._

_He didn't know what else to do, he was shocked himself and he couldn't stay there anymore it was either Fugaku killed him or he killed Fugaku and he didn't want the fighting to have any more impact on Sasuke than it had already._

_So that night Itachi packed his things and attempted to sneak past Sasuke's room, he was going for the little girl and was getting ready to leave. What he wasn't expecting was for Sasuke to already be waiting outside his bedroom door like he knew his brother was leaving._

"_You really have to leave?" the boy questioned, in was in such a way that suggested he knew that his brother was going to leave but that he was hoping that his brother could just say that he was dropping the girl and coming back home._

_Sasuke didn't know how to tell his brother that he didn't care for the fighting that happened in their house as long as Itachi came back home to him. Unlike most his mother wasn't the most important to him that comforted him when he needed it._

_It was his brother that did and when Itachi went away Sasuke always felt like a part was missing because he didn't know if Itachi was okay, if the gang would run into trouble. If he was dead or hurt or trapped in prison._

_He didn't know and it killed him inside._

_Itachi ruffled his brothers scruffy raven locks and smiled sadly, "I have to go but I'll come back, I won't leave you here forever. Right now that little girl, Mei. She needs me more than you do and me and father aren't friends right now. I can't sit here and watch what he is turning this family to" he sighed._

_Before he walked past Sasuke towards the room Mei was sleeping in._

"_You really think that time away will make changes to this family, brother I know you are smarter than that. This family is doomed to fail and I fear that you leaving will only accelerate it. Do what you will but don't use another as your excuse" Sasuke whispered before retreating to his room and shutting the door silently._

_Itachi turned back his eyes widened and made a step towards his brother's room until he remembered Mei and turned to leave. He didn't know when his brother had got so bitter but he would have to wait until Itachi had finished his other tasks first._

* * *

The room was silent, they weren't sure what they were expecting to be told but that wasn't it and for some reason they were really shocked. From Sasuke's expression what he had told them was but a tiny extract but if that was so then they didn't even want to know the kinds of things that he had seen as a boy.

However he didn't stop there.

"Some time after he left Itachi was shot, he didn't want to come home but my mother broke down, she just couldn't stand to see him hurt and begged that he came home. Father and him hated each other but mother and Itachi loved each other no matter how mentally ill my mother was." He sighed

"the day he turned on up the door step and my mother opened the door with tear stained eyes all he said to her was, even if just for your sanity I will stay here and she burst into tears and hugged him tight refusing to let go" Sasuke finished.

Sakura gasped, those words, she knew those words she had heard them spoken by Itachi before, the night before when she was just passing by the room and she heard the two of them talking when he arrived back from wherever he had gone.

Everyone looked at her in question.

"I heard him, Itachi that I say something along those words to Hinata last night, I was going to check on her to see if Itachi had come back and he must have left the door open slightly. They were talking and Hinata was crying and then I heard him say it. Even if it's just for your sanity, then I left because I didn't want to intrude" she said and Sasuke nodded as if understanding.

"it wasn't often that I heard Itachi say that maybe once to my mother and a few times for me but I knew that when he said it he was very serious and he cared a lot for that person so I can only imagine how much Hinata means to him." Sasuke explained.

"What makes her better than us?!" Tiara complained and Sasuke sighed,

"it isn't that she is better only that she can sort of relate to what he has seen and gone through slightly, to some extent even Neji and myself can relate to Itachi only my views and his will always clash despite the fact that we can relate" He further explained.

Tiara snorted.

"So anyways, the night of my parent's death, what I can tell you is hardly anything compared to what really happened but you would need to see my brother to know what really happened I guess. I wasn't really there, I had been forced to sleep by my mother and strangely she had tucked me in before bed. I somehow knew that something would happen by I don't know how."

* * *

_What happened_

_When my mother tucked me in that night she told me that she would always love me no matter what choices I made in life and no matter what happened. I was confused and scared but I didn't say anything I just allowed her to kiss my cheek and hugged her._

_She pushed play on my music box and left the room shutting the door, the sound it made, made me anxious but I couldn't explain it, something was really wrong I could feel it but I was too scared to go see. I didn't want to admit that there was something wrong with my mother._

_That was the last I ever saw of my mother live, the last smile I saw on her face and the last love I ever felt from her. I remember waking up at some obscene time in the morning disorientated and not knowing why I was awakened until I heard again._

_A blood curling scream and a loud strangled sob, lots of bangs and more screams. I don't know what I was thinking but I made a mad dash towards my parent's room. I paused at the door I knew I didn't want to open it that all the sounds were coming from there but I knew I had to find the truth because if I didn't I knew that no one would tell me._

_Blood._

_There it was, it decorated the walls and the floors, and you would think the carpet was read the paint on the walls was red. I had never seen so much of the stuff it was almost hard to believe that it came from just two human beings._

_Then there in the middle of all this carnage was Itachi, blood stained his fingers and splashed on his face and clothes. He stared at it like he was the one who killed them or like he couldn't believe that it was all there._

_Then he started to laugh, I knew he didn't cry and that if it was anyone else they would be hysterically screaming or throwing up or something. But his laugh wasn't normal it seemed demon, loud and harsh tears thundered down his face but it seemed they came from him laughing too hard._

_Then I saw the bodies and I knew at once that it had been them he was staring at not his hands. My father had some sort of long metal pole rammed through the centre of his stomach and a knife stuck hard in his chest right near his heart. _

_Blood seeped from every crevice of his body, it pooled around him, soaked the bed where his corpse lay. Maybe he had deserved death but no one deserved to die the way he had died that much I was sure._

_My mother, my sweet innocent mother was on the floor blood seeping from the two knifes in her chest, her eyes open but slightly and no smile on her face. Her face was completely white as if she had seen a ghost._

_Even Itachi was injured cuts and bruises marred his body and he certainly wasn't okay with this but then, I didn't think that anyone would be okay with it. I couldn't fathom what my brother had to do with the sight and I knew that I didn't want to know so I didn't._

_I still don't know what happened that night and to be truthful I still don't want to know._

_Itachi collapsed on the ground where he began screaming, I wasn't sure if it was just hysterical laughter or if he had moved into actually screaming I don't think I really knew anything then my mind had just gone blank._

_Itachi fainting and then I started screaming, I promptly began violently vomiting, I didn't think it would ever stop and when it did I swayed over to the phone I kept my vision away from the views of the bodies as best as I could but blood was everywhere._

_I don't remember much else but flashes of what happened, I don't know who I called or what I said but before I knew there were people everywhere, flashes, stretchers people in strange outfits, police people in green outfits._

_So many people talking to me all at once but I couldn't understand what they were telling me and then the words all just seemed to mould into a mass of words and then I just don't remember what happened. The next thing I remember was meeting a woman called Tia._

_She was there because her son was ill, she said that he had been in a coma for two years and had newly woken and that they were keeping him there to make sure everything was alright, I didn't know that she was Neji's mother. She just sort of adopted me almost, she set everything up for us, I knew home in Konoha near her and I quickly made friends._

_She even tried her best to help Itachi, she tried so damn hard but no matter what she did it wasn't good enough and Itachi never got better just steadily worse. Tia hired people constantly to help but no one could get through to him. Even though it pained her she tried so hard not to give up._

_Only some time you just have to you know and she did a year later, she told me that she just couldn't handle it anymore I knew that she couldn't. She looked so tired of us and I was scared she would try and get rid of me so I just agreed forgetting about what it would do to my brother._

_He may not have liked the attention but it did show that someone cared for him outside of our home when she stopped I guess he figured that he simply wasn't worth saving anymore. It hurt her so much but she knew that she had to give up. It was the one thing Tia hated to do too._

* * *

Sasuke had his head in his hands and the others didn't know what to say or do, most of them looked at the ground they felt ashamed of the comments they had made earlier, they just hadn't known or understood but now they did and still it was only a small portion.

Neji remembered the day his mother gave in, it was a year after he had come home from the hospital and she was still walking on eggshells around him, she didn't mentions his coma or any of the events leading up to it.

She was also dealing with the stress of her business expanding and of the two Uchiha's that she cared so much about, he remembered the counselling and the fact that she had no one to talk to about it. She didn't much have friends and she had been disowned from the family.

He didn't know if Sasuke was aware but their parents had been friends, Mikoto had helped Tia give birth to Neji older brother almost a year before Itachi was born. Konoha Hospital was one of the best but its maternity wasn't the greatest.

Naturally Tia being such a powerful woman and being part of a powerful family at the time their father had demanded the hospital find someone capable since Tia was too far along to travel far. As if by fate Mikoto was brought to them.

"In truth I don't blame people for giving up on Itachi, he was pathetic he became so well known among all those that could help him that it was almost impossible to find anyone who would try. I don't know why he was that way I may not have seen as much but I was just as damaged but I knew I had to talk it out and let someone in" Sasuke stated.

"I began to hate him so much, I couldn't stand his guts, to me he was just a stupid coward that was too afraid to confront his own past but secretly I think that I was confusing him with myself because there were so many time that I was afraid and too scared to do what I should have done." Sasuke sighed again and took a deep breath.

"What do you think of him now?" Naruto asked and he shrugged.

"I can't really say, somewhere I guess I am still that little snot nosed kid waiting for his older brother to pick him up and tell him that everything is going to be okay but then on the surface all I feel is hatred and it feels like all of it was his fault" Sasuke looked down, "Despite how I may feel Itachi is a lost case and I don't think that Hinata should be spending as much time as she is with him, she is good for him but I don't want him to take all that goodness and ruin her"

Tenten stood up angrily, she was so mad and she didn't even know why maybe it was the stress from all that had happened to her but after the kindness that Itachi had shown her she couldn't sit there and listen to what he had to say.

"I can't believe you, how could you just say that. Your brother may not be the most social person but he isn't a lost cause or able to ruin anyone. Your brother wouldn't kill a fly, hurt it maybe but not enough to make it want to sting him." She breathed.

"Your brother helped me what I needed help the most, he could have left me but he didn't he was so worried that he would frighten me that he called for help from others. He may be afraid to confront his past but there aren't many with a past as bad as his that can confront theirs with a smile on their faces!" Sasuke attempted to talk but she cut him off again.

"Your brother needs help but not from people who want to be paid to help him, he wants help from something that wants to help him and wants him to get better and wants to understand him. He blames himself for the death of your parent's and I know that he knows who killed them, he just needs to know there are people there for him when he needs it" she shouted.

Before she knew what she was doing she backed away from the room and ran out the door flapping after her. The whole room was quiet, everyone was shocked into silence, a pin could have been heard and it would have sounded like a trumpet being blown it was that silent.

Tenten had never _ever _spoken out like that and what she had said seemed to run deeper than just talking out Itachi. Neji stood and dusted himself down before giving a little bow then he walked after the girl.

He wanted to hurt Lee so bad that he knew how Tenten felt but he knew that it wouldn't make Tenten better and it wouldn't make the group any less confused about what was wrong with her and what was going on.

**_But never the less Tenten had left the group with something to think about and Sasuke realised she was right Itachi really did just need someone who would care for him and help him when he needed help!_**


	13. Meeting The Others

**Chapter twelve: Meeting The Others**

The atmosphere was definitely tense as Itachi parked the car in the huge house drive way. It wasn't such a bad tension; it was more Hinata's nervousness at meeting Itachi's friends. She had heard awful things from the others but seeing how Mei had turned out by living with them she couldn't accept that they were as bad as it seemed.

"This is it, is Hina-chan ready?" Mei asked curiously when the car finally rolled to a stop and the locks were turned off. Hinata took a deep breath and nodded, she couldn't calm her thumping heart, and she hoped they liked her.

Itachi walked round and opened her door, lending a hand when the young teen struggled to get down from the huge beast of a vehicle. Mei easily jumped down, being used to jumping in and out of her favourite of Itachi's vehicles.

She squealed and ran towards the house, her arms wide as if she were some sort of aeroplane, Itachi shook his head whilst Hinata giggled in adoration, the girl was just too cute for words. Hinata swallowed loudly when they stepped around the car and she could see the house.

One wouldn't notice just how huge it really was, the house was grey with ivy running up the walls, the trees surrounded were massive weeping willows, their spidery limbs touching the floor and dipping into the swampy large ponds.

Itachi caught her look and cocked an eyebrow, he was so used … or at least _had _been used to the house that he didn't really find it that scary or weird. He guessed it was slightly over grown and the house would definitely improve by having a gardening crew around but the others had always told him to save his money when he suggested so he just kinda got used to it.

When they got to the door Mei smiled and pushed the door open, it was never locked, after all those that would have wanted in to steal something were street wise enough to have heard of the Akatsuki and where the prominent members lived so unless they were wanting to have their faces smashed in they knew to stay away.

"Mei is hoooooome" the girl yelled happily,

Itachi walked in front of Hinata, he knew that his friends wouldn't hurt her but with Sasori around and in such a wicked mood who knew what would happen, it also didn't help that Deidara may have set a trap for him to see if his abilities were still up to scratch.

The two entered the entrance hall and Itachi sighed and shook his head, the lights were off, that never was a good start. He took hold of Hinata's hand and looked back at her face seeing that she had paled slightly.

He felt along the wall for the light switch but in his absence it must have moved place as he couldn't feel it as he groped around. When he felt the vibrations in the old wooden floors he turned to the staircase and tensed.

* * *

"Well what do we have here?" it was a sinister voice

Itachi only had a few seconds from when he heard that phrase to when a flash of white made it's way towards them at a crazy, almost inhuman speed.

"Kisame!"

"Prepare yourself _Itachi_!"

"**Kisame!"**

"Kisame?"

A light caught his eye,

"Hinata!"

A swing of a heavy weapon,

"_Itachi--!!!"_

A push of a body before a swift dodge to the side,

"Catch!"

"Huh un?!"

A scream

"WOAH UNNN!!"

A Collision

The crunch of a heavy object hitting the wall,

"**Shit!"**

"Too slow!"

A Knife

"What pretty eyes you have un!"

"W-W-Wah ?"

Eyes rolling back into a head.

Silence!

"Why are all the lights off?" Mei's voice called into the darkness and she switched on the lights from upstairs when she saw the carnage her eyes widened and she burst into loud laughter, spasms racking her body as she grasped her stomach in mirth.

Kisame's big ass sword was stuck in the wall and the towering man himself was frozen still a knife belonging to Itachi resting strongly against his neck, with such deadly precision that if Itachi had even miscalculated a quarter of a centimetre he would have slit into that throat.

Deidara and Hinata were tangled together on the floor near the door to the kitchen, Deidara looked both winded and terribly confused, Hinata was clearly unconscious because of this sudden shock. Itachi sighed and relaxed.

"Your plan went even better than you thought Same!" Mei giggled and Itachi glared at his giant of a friend before he went to help detangle Deidara and Hinata. Kisame smiled and rubbed the back of his head.

It had been fun.

"What plan was this?" Itachi asked his eyebrow twitching dangerously.

Kisame and Deidara winced; someone was going to pay for this.

"Weelll, Saso said that he would pay Kisame big money in something if he could kick your ass and so Kisa tried to do so. Dei and Mei both said he couldn't do it but nevertheless he wanted to try so Kisa came up with the plan and asked Mei to watch it." she explained.

When Deidara was pulled to his feet he doubled over to take a breather, "I take it you're staying for dinner un" he stated dryly as they all stared at the unconscious pale eyed girl on the floor, Itachi just gave him a scathingly dirty look as Kisame picked her up to move her to a couch.

"I guess that's an affirmative yeah" he muttered turning back into the kitchen, Mei's laughter following him.

* * *

"Sasori pass the salt" Itachi murmured when Hinata quietly pointed across at it from where she was sitting next to Itachi. The red head cocked an eyebrow and snorted before moving the small salt bottle further away from its seekers and continuing with his meal.

Itachi stared at him blankly, clearly not impressed while Deidara reached over to pass the bottle before lightly slapping Sasori on the arm showing his dislike towards the way he was acting so rude and antisocial.

"Deidara put the salt back, Itachi asked Sasori to pass it and I don't see why the hell he didn't do it. His hands work perfectly well, I know he is able to pass the salt without your help" Kisame stated strictly wanting to teach Mei some important skills and get the two former friends back together.

Deidara sighed but did as he was told, he wasn't going to argue with an almost seven foot giant that wield a big ass, ripping sword. Everyone stopped eating except Sasori and looked at each other nervously.

"**Sasori. Pass. The. Damn. Salt**!" Kisame bit out, his fist clenched around his cutlery.

The red head let his cutlery clang to the table and pushed his chair back, he didn't reply to Kisame or spare any of them a look as he left the room, pushing the chair hard on his way out and sending it flying across the dining room only to crash hard against the opposite wall and make everyone jump.

Itachi sighed and calmly wiped his mouth with his napkin before he got up to follow the redhead, as soon as he was out the room Kisame sent Deidara a look and the blonde also left the room. In this case he was the perfect mediator.

Anyways Hina-chan, Mei was talking about that bet well …" Mei began.

"_Hey you big meanie aren't you going to see the bet played out. Mei won't miss it for the world and she thinks that you should come to so you can see if Kisa kicks ass or not" Mei sang and the redhead only glared at her and slammed the door in the girl's face._

"_Asshole!" Mei yelled sticking her tongue out then she made her way down to the lobby, she really didn't want to miss out on all the fun. As Deidara always said it was going to be an explosive blast._

_Mei watched Itachi feel along the wall for the light switch but he must have forgotten it was on the left side not the right as he groped the right side. She watched as he turned to face the staircase but he obviously couldn't see her he was looking at the bigger figure that was further way from her. _

"_Well what do we have here?" Mei saw it was Kisame using his sinister voice_

_Mei knew that Itachi only had a few seconds from when he heard Kisame speak to when he would impact, despite his massive size Kisame was incredibly fast able to reach almost inhuman speeds. _

"_Kisame!" Itachi cautioned_

"_Prepare yourself Itachi!" Kisame shouted_

"_**Kisame!" **__Itachi cautioned again, Mei could see he would attack if he needed to._

"_Kisame?" it was Hinata's soft voice she was obviously confused about what was going on._

_A light on the side caught Mei's eye and had caught Itachi's as well. Only he didn't have the time to see who it was he had to remember what he was going to do with Hinata considering there was a big sword involved. It was Deidara who was obviously clueless._

"_Hinata!" it was Itachi's vocal remembrance of the girl._

_A swing of a heavy weapon, it was the Samehada in all its glory_

"_Itachi--!!!" Hinata screamed_

_Mei giggled as she watched Itachi push Hinata like she was a rag doll towards Deidara knowing with his reflexes he would catch her and then he barely had two seconds to dodge the huge shredding weapon of Kisame._

"_Catch!" Mei sang as she noticed that Deidara was still too oblivious to the body stumbling towards him_

"_Huh un?!" it seemed that the blonde had finally caught on_

_Hinata screamed loudly_

"_WOAH UNNN!!" Deidara dropped the banana in his hand and quickly held his arms out to catch her, he really didn't think she looked that heavy._

_He hadn't calculated well and the two of them went flying to the ground slipping over the poor smushed banana on the floor._

_Kisame was going too fast to stop and his heavy weapon hit the door and went straight through, he couldn't pull it out, it was wedged all the way in there._

"_**Shit!" **__Kisame cursed, he knew he was finished and if he had known Mei was watched he definitely would have kicked himself for cussing._

"_Too slow!" Itachi chuckled_

_Mei's eyes widened as she watched Itachi pull a knife out of what seemed like thin air, the young man wasn't as defenceless as they all had thought he would be. It seemed that he hadn't forgotten his training at all._

"_What pretty eyes you have un!" Deidara spoke in awe suddenly seeing strange lavender eyes in front of him._

"_W-W-Wah ?" Hinata gasped, still in shock _

_The shock was too much for the girl and her eyes rolling back into her head. _

_Silence! _

_It was definitely time for her inference, Kisame had lost the bet it seemed. They never did believe Sasori when he said that he knew the truth. It seemed like they would take his ideals more seriously now._

"_Why are all the lights off?" she called into the darkness and then she switched on the lights from upstairs when she saw the full carnage her eyes widened and she burst into loud laughter, spasms racking her body as she grasped her stomach in mirth._

_Kisame's big ass sword was stuck in the wall and the towering man himself was frozen still a knife belonging to Itachi resting strongly against his neck, with such deadly precision that if Itachi had even miscalculated a quarter of a centimetre he would have slit into that throat._

_Deidara and Hinata were tangled together on the floor near the door to the kitchen, Deidara looked both winded and terribly confused, Hinata was clearly unconscious in his sudden shock. Itachi sighed and relaxed._

"…And that was how it happened" Mei grinned

* * *

"What is your problem?" Itachi asked standing at the opening of the red head's room, he knew Deidara had supposedly told him but he couldn't help but think there was more to it than the blonde had said. The blonde wouldn't lie to him which meant that the redhead just hadn't told him.

The redhead burst into creepy sporadic laughter that chilled Itachi's spine and made the hairs on the back of his neck rise up. The red head was by no means sane but he was more in control of his wild crazy side than most of the others.

"What's my problem eh? What _is _my problem?" Sasori pondered to himself walking backwards and forwards along his bedside but never turning to face Itachi. It was like the brunette wasn't even there then he picked up the wooden lamp on the bedside table and threw it to the ground almost ignoring the crash.

He turned to face Itachi; his face maddened by whatever was haunting him, eyes wide and his face paler than was humanly possible. Deidara had often hinted that the red head was different to most but he had never elaborated.

"**You're my fucking problem!**" he roared and Itachi took a step back so that he had plenty of room to restrain the other, fight or even run if he had to. Sasori never showed his true potential when they were fighting or changed his facial expression unless he was really passionate so it was hard to know when he was giving it his all.

However he had always remarked that Itachi could easily beat him if he wanted to, but Itachi didn't want to test that because he had no doubt that the other would be able to give him a run for his money if he had to.

"**You think you're so **_**screwed up!**_** Mommy and Daddy died and you watched them! Boohoo **_**poor **_**Itachi! Left alone with his baby brother with millions and billions to his name and a safe place to live!" **he continued stalking closer.

Itachi caught sight of Deidara coming up on the left side and the blonde was clearly trying to tell him something. Between Sasori's maddened rant and him trying to understand what Deidara was trying to tell him without giving the blonde away to the redhead he had a job on his hands.

He backed away slowly to the opposite side to Deidara and started to respond to Sasori to hopefully keep his attention away from the bright blonde hair of his partner.

"I never said I wasn't screwed up Sasori –" he began

"**BULLSHIT?!" **Sasori lunged for Itachi whilst the brunet had momentarily lost concentration to look at Deidara, he was pushed to the ground and the redhead was quick to begin taking it out of his hide. Itachi didn't bother to fight as no to aggravate the other more.

However he did curl in slightly which gave Sasori's blows to his stomach a more of a miss chance than a hit chance. Sasori was too blinded with anger to properly aim and kick the shit out of him and for that Itachi could truly say he was glad.

Sasori didn't see Deidara coming and before he knew there was a wire pulled tight across his throat. Anyone watching would have found it comical how fast the redhead could go from crazy berserker to calm as a cucumber

"Everything alright here un?" Deidara asked almost too cheerfully. Sasori grit his teeth breathing slowly and deeply to calm down the rage he was still feeling but trying hard to hold back.

"Peachy" he muttered and Deidara flashed a shit eating grin.

"Un. You alright there pumpkin?" he asked, next looking at Itachi who was getting himself to his feet slowly. When the brunet glared at him he smiled but didn't release the hold on Sasori's neck, he couldn't trust that his partner would let go of whatever was pissing him off.

"I'm going back for dessert don't keep us waiting too long or else I might just have Kisame come get you with his trusty Samehada" Itachi muttered before brushing himself down and walking down the corridor, although a little gingerly.

Deidara didn't miss the meaning behind that, if he took too long they would expect the worse that Sasori had attacked him and come to have him disposed off. If there was one thing they didn't agree with that was it.

Deidara's grin suddenly vanished and he forced the redhead into his room before releasing him, being sure to shut the door and flick the lock. Sasori narrowed his eyes and touched his throat carefully to check the damage.

There was nothing more than a bruise and a trickle of blood where his throat had been carefully sliced. It was nothing to be worried about. If there was one thing he could be sure of it was that Deidara knew exactly what he was doing.

"Is everything alright? Sasori I know you don't think I know that much about you but I do. I can't say that I understand because I don't but I'm your partner and I'm here for you whenever you need me. I'm like your surrogate brother" Deidara smiled shakily.

Sasori ran a hand through his raging red hair and sighed, he was alright just a little tired of it all. His life just seemed to be one disaster after another and when he seemed ready to accept that his life wouldn't get better it just had to give him a wet willy.

He turned to the blonde and smiled weakly, Deidara was almost stunned he didn't think he had ever seen a smile come from his partner. Sasori didn't do happy or sad or smiles. It was almost always that bored look and if not bored then it was that angry madness that was hidden deep inside.

"I know you're there brat and don't think I don't notice you. I appreciate you a lot more than you think I do, now how about that dessert? That skinny ass Uchiha won't eat much but that mini vacuum cleaner and shark boy would finish it between them" he smirked before briefly touching the blonde's shoulder and leaving the room.

Deidara's eyes were almost stuck wide open and then as he processed all that had happened he smiled softly and touched his shoulder where the redhead had before he went to join him.

* * *

It was almost four when they got back to the large house. Hinata was worried, sure dinner had gone on as they thought it would have but she hadn't failed to notice that Itachi was moving gingerly. She didn't know what had happened but something was wrong.

She wasn't ready to make her move yet though, if it was really that bad she was sure that Itachi would tell her. When they got back into the room Hinata went into the bathroom to get ready for bed and when she came out she noticed that Itachi just took off his shoes and got, awkwardly into bed.

He still had his cloak, shirt and trousers on and Hinata knew that it was way too hot for him to wear them. when she got under the covers she couldn't help but stare at his cloak, she didn't know what he was hiding but she wasn't so sure that he would tell her if something was wrong.

He seemed to understand her thoughts as he hugged her close and whispered to her, "Don't worry, it's all bruises" he didn't see why he should be hiding it from her, Sasori could do a lot worse so he hadn't done that bad.

Hinata squealed and jumped out of bed in shock. She was so mad how could they do that, only bruises what the hell did he mean _only _bruises. She went over to her suitcase to look for a first aid box and when she couldn't see one she growled.

"Take off the cloak and your shirt!" she ordered angrily and Itachi cocked an eyebrow, he didn't think she could be so forward when she moved to take it off for him when he didn't move he battered her hands away and started doing it himself.

She cussed when she saw them; they were deep angry marks surrounding his ribs and his stomach. She was almost convinced to get him to the hospital but she knew that he would only end up being difficult and getting nothing done.

"I'll be right back, if those clothes aren't off when I get back then there will be very big trouble!" she stated firmly before marching out the room leaving a shocked Uchiha in her wake. It wasn't often that she took charge but when she did, she really did.

* * *

She walked into Neji's room without knocking and ignored their embarrassed looks and the way they sprung apart. They had been cuddling together on his bed but in truth she couldn't give a damn she had more pressing matters to attend to.

"Neji I need your first aid kit" she stated not bothering to ask, Neji looked shocked at how forward she sounded by nodded not wanting to stand in her way. Something must have really pissed her off if she was acting like this.

He quickly rummaged for it and passed it to her not wanting to hold her up too long if she was acting this urgent. Hinata thanked her cousin and rushed back to her room. When she got back Itachi seemed to understand that she was serious as he had done as she had ordered.

"They are only bruises there is nothing for you to worry about" he murmured poking an angry large black purple mark on his stomach and wincing a small fraction. Sasori may have been really small but he sure carried a lot of power in those skinny little legs,

Hinata frowned unimpressed,

"Regardless of whether they are just bruises or not they still need to be treated, a severe bruise could turn into a fluctuating lump" she argued stubbornly pulling out a pack from the first aid box before crushing it her hands and nodding as its temperature dropped.

It was a perfect cold compress.

He looked at the packet and sniffed, she was making such a big deal out of nothing there was no need for the ice pack, he wasn't five where he needed to be reassured that he wasn't going to die from a tiny hurt … or maybe a large hurt.

Besides having Fugaku as a father, it was basically impossible for him to ever show emotions or pain without having it beaten out of him or cussed out of him. He was meant to be the model child, the perfect child. Who didn't hurt or whine or get sick.

When she didn't shift her stubborn look he sighed and held out his hand for her to give the pack to him. When she didn't give it to him she blushed as he cocked his eyebrow. She carefully moved his hands away and gently pressed the cold pack against the largest bruise.

Itachi internally flinched at the cold but didn't bother to show her in case he ended up scaring her and making her any more flustered than she already was. He had heard that some people that got too flustered could faint.

"Does it hurt?" Hinata whispered her red face not shifting from his pale stomach, Itachi shrugged and looked out into the dark sky, what was this? Compared to the injuries he used to get, this was absolutely nothing.

"Hard to say" he began hesitantly, "Compared to getting shot, this is like a paper cut, it just twinges" he explained with another sigh as Hinata moved the ice pack onto a more tender bit of skin. She didn't comment on his words not wanting him to close up like a clam and enjoying the comfortable silence.

The two sat in silence for a while, Hinata slowly moving the ice pack around all the tender bruised areas of his torso. If she wasn't such a weakling and she hadn't seen the damage Itachi had got she would have marched right back over there and kicked that asshole where the sun didn't shine.

When she paused to rub her eyes Itachi moved to stand up, and motioning to her, he walked around to the side of the bed and lightly pushed her in. He smiled and pulled the covers up to her shoulders before going to his side and smoothly sliding under the covers.

"What's it like to be shot 'Tachi?" she asked sleepily, turning to face him and Itachi in turn faced her too. He smiled sadly and reached over to pet her head, he didn't know why she wanted to know but he hoped that she never found out.

"That is something that I hope you never have to live through, to feel like your body is engulfed in flames, like boiling hot water is washing over you" he murmured softly still gently petting her head, her eyes briefly met his.

Hinata blushed while he looked indifferent; not at all bothered that he was petting her but he did stop when he thought that she may have a seizure her face was so red. For once he also found that he couldn't resist teasing her. "Maybe we shouldn't go in the sun anymore you seem to be burning badly".

Hinata stared at him wide eyed before blushing even harder with he lightly chortled to himself. She playfully punched him in the arm and stuck her tongue out in revenge and he rolled his eyes and smirked back.

She smiled softly and then let her tired, heavy eyes slid shut; this was what she wanted in life, the feeling that she was wanted and needed somewhere and by someone. What she didn't know was that Itachi felt the same way.

_**All they knew is that if they were going anywhere, they were going there together, he needed her and she needed him!**_

* * *


	14. Break Up, Make Up

**Chapter Thirteen: Break Up, Make Up**

The next day came around quickly and it was one of those days where no one wanted to be at home. They were all mostly out and about doing various things not wanting to waste the glorious weather any longer.

Itachi and Hinata had gone out briefly to get some groceries; now that it seemed they were going to stay in the large manor whether Itachi liked it or not. He couldn't deny that despite the pain he first felt it felt good to be back at home … his real home.

Sasuke and Shikamaru were tricked into a double date at the beach by Sakura and Ino so they had left early in order to get a good space to sunbathe. Lee was in his room having a workout and doing what else Lee did when he was on his own.

Tiara was still doing her makeup which she had been working on for half an hour, she didn't seem to realise that if she hadn't bothered to plaster her face in all the gung she wore, people would have found she was much more beautiful.

Naruto was entertaining himself in the basement arcade, his topaz eyes sparkled as he moved from one old school game to another. He knew exactly what he wanted to invest in from his guardian when he got home.

Neji and Tenten were in their newly shared room just lounging around; they were hoping to get a swim in before everyone got back. Things had been hectic for them so they wanted to have a little rest and recharge.

Neji took out his hair band and sighed as the pressure was relieved of his head, waterfalls of shiny ebony cascading down his pale skin, Tenten was in the en-suit bathroom finishing up on her costume and hair.

Neji allowed himself to relax at the foot of the bed and let himself fall back on to the bed, he closed his eyes and enjoyed the slight hard pressure when his body hit the soft bed. He sighed and squirmed to find a comfortable position.

So much had happened; he had been blind to many things that one of his 'standards' shouldn't have been. He wanted to blame Tiara but he knew that there was no excuse it was him that had allowed her to blind him.

"Neji, how do I look?" Tenten asked walking out the bathroom and giving Neji a little twirl, Neji was knocked out his thoughts by her voice and opened his eyes; she looked amazing, her hair was down and straightened and her chocolate eyes were dancing. She had on a spotty blue bikini with a matching skirt over the bikini bottoms.

She suddenly pouted at him and his face suddenly lost all traces of emotion. It was his way of hardening himself up for rejection as that was all he had faced throughout his life. From his family, from his brother, from Tiara and to some extent from his mother too.

"What's wrong?" he asked monotonous,

Tenten sighed and moved to sit next to him on the bed; she grabbed his hand and smiled softly at him. "It's going to be alright Neji! Everything is going to fall into place you'll see" she told him, believing fully her own words.

At first she was just going to tease him but the sudden look he gave, she understood the reason he hid his emotion but she didn't understood why he felt he had that reason to hide them. She couldn't imagine ever rejecting him.

She knew he had secrets regarding his past that not many knew of.

When they finally made their way outside they were too busy talking between them about the random nothings that went on in their lives that they didn't realise that they had caught the attention of both Lee and Tiara.

One would think that the two were working together, they were in different rooms but their booth leered out of their windows with a dangerous jealousy. Lee wishing that Tenten was still his for the taking and Tiara angry that it seemed Neji had forgotten that they were still together.

The young man had the emotional level of a rock and frankly she was sick of it, when she first met him she thought that was just the way he was but she had seen him with his cousin and now with Tenten and he didn't pull his emotionless face at them … no; only at her, Tiara the girl whose father was apparently a huge drug lord.

Tiara whose mother left when she was just a baby, she was just a lowly prostitute that made a mistake and didn't want to be left with the burden. Tiara, who was known by all the street trash because of her father.

He had never stricken her but he had done much worse! Spreading rumours of the evilness he had brought to her, trying to make himself seem so much my terrifying in the eyes of those he worked with and for. It was thanks to him that people thought the worst of her and them. It may not have seemed worse but the wounds of such a thing wouldn't become bruises and fade away, they would stay with her as long as people gazed upon her.

She wasn't going to let this go, not this time, she was done being someone's doormat be in intentional or not!

Neji took the plunge straight away; it wasn't often that he went swimming despite the fact that they did have a pool back in his home. Both outside and inside actually. He took an elegant leading up run and dived of the dive board into the three metre deep end.

It was when he was deep under and looking up watching Tenten's rippled face did he see that she seemed unsure, like she didn't want to even go in. Neji suspected that she couldn't swim but he could think of no other way to get her in the pool without her worrying about the possibility of drowning.

As quick as an eel he slithered through the water easily cutting through it despite the fact that one would think he would be slowed by the resistance on his billowing hair. One pale milky hand shot out and grabbed her ankle and with a small tug he pulled her in making sure to refrain from chuckling at her yelp of surprise while he was still under.

Before she could fully start flailing and panicking he wrapped his arms around her and slowly treaded water with her in his embrace. It took a while but finally her breath calmed when she realised that he wasn't going to let her drown.

"Do you trust me?" he asked, his opal eyes so very serious it was almost scary and for a moment she thought that he was asking her something very important with that. She didn't allow herself to hesitate, this was Neji and she knew he would never try and hurt her intentionally.

"Hold your breath for as long as you can".

He removed his arms from around her waist but quickly grabbed her hands giving it a squeeze to reassure her that he wasn't going anywhere. He swam quickly towards the shallow end weary of how long she would be able to hold her breath.

As soon as her feet could touch the ground she threw her head up and took a deep gulp of oxygen that had been the most terrifying yet fulfilling experience she had ever experienced. She turned to face him and her expression darkened, she couldn't let him get away with the fact that he had pushed her into a deep pool when she couldn't swim.

"I can't swim you idiot were you trying to kill me?" she shouted and then she pushed against him as hard as she could and started laughing as he fell backwards like a brick, almost as if he was letting her push him around.

He smiled mischievously under the water where she couldn't see and made to grab her ankles once again and soon as they were both under he pulled her level to himself and kissed her; Tiara was completely forgotten.

Neji's longer hair covered them protectively but sadly they had to go back up for air and when they were up they realised they were both in for big trouble. Tenten instantly froze up, standing there was Lee and Tiara and they were both far from pleased.

Neji took Tenten's hand under the water and stood in front of her protectively, he hadn't done anything to Lee yet but if he pushed it Neji would be happy to kick his ass to mars and back. He knew that fuzzy eyebrows was keen on his training but he hadn't seen the way the Hyuuga/Hyuga trained their Kin.

Neji would wipe the floor with him!

"Neji! What the hell are you doing?! What the hell is going on here?" Tiara said she tried to stay calm and her voice was low but she might as well have been shouting for the venom that she placed in her words definitely made up for the lack of a shouting voice.

Neji face lost all traces of emotion,

"I didn't think you owned me, Tiara" he said and a vein started pulsing out her head, there he went again with that stupid pathetic hiding of all his emotions, she just didn't understand why was it only with _her _that he seemed to do it.

Was she really destined to be a curse would she forever have people run from her unless they wanted her to spread her legs or warm their beds. She had thought that that one day he had listened to her and held her while she cried.

She had hoped that he was the one and that he would be different to all the others but it seemed that he was worse! He had led her into a false security but she didn't know what he wanted from her, he shied from any of her seductiveness even from her touch was she so tainted and ruined, was she not good enough for him?!

"Why are you sharing a room with that bitch?! Why doesn't she go and do what she does best, fucking Lee!" the hurtful words just kept spilling from her lips almost like a tap that had been opened full blast she didn't know where it came from but it just wouldn't stop.

"Tenten darling, your boyfriend is missing you in bed, you aren't a very good girlfriend making him wait" she sneered and Tenten backed behind Neji a little more at the sudden spark in Lee's eyes.

"Tenten, we need to talk, Tiara is right you seem to be avoiding me ever since that night it's not very nice" he said calmly and Tenten felt herself become angry, how much she just wanted to slam her fist into his face and watch the blood leak.

He was nothing but a drunken bastard and she refused to acknowledge him as anything else. The Lee she once knew was dead to her. Taken by this monster with a bottle, if she wasn't so unsure of his strength she would have marched over there and given it to him.

"Lee didn't your mother ever teach you that raping and trying to murder people is a crime you could go to jail for, I'm not pressing charges so you should get out of my face, I'm staying with Neji because I like him and I can trust him! I don't want to have anything to do with you!" she shouted and Lee backed off.

"But, but Tenten we, we were in love remember, we loved each other" He said in panic as if he had believed that she would take him back in heartbeat like she had all those other times before. This time however she was putting her foot down. She wasn't going to let this happen to her.

She felt a small tear and didn't know why she was crying for him, but she had to let him know that it wasn't all bad. He was nothing to her now but he _had _been, she had cared for him so very much and she felt he needed to know that.

So that one time when he met the girl he wanted to be with he would know that he had to give up the bottle and give her all the love he could. Treasure her and make her feel special. Just like he had done to her before he found the bottle.

"I was in love Lee, I will not lie to you. Ever since you got your first taste of the forbidden fruits I knew that you no longer cared for Tenten, for me. You only cared for my body and I'm sorry but I can't let you hurt me anymore, just leave" she cried and Lee felt his heart shatter,

"…but … Tenten … I … I never knew … I …"

She shook her head wildly and held up a hand stepping around Neji, she had drawn enough of his strength; she had to finish this on her own. She could do it, she had got this far. "Lee just leave, I don't want you anymore!" and he did.

He looked like he wanted to say more but he didn't, he stayed quiet and walked away. Tiara felt her body shake with rage, her hands tightened into fists, her long dagger like nails biting into her flesh. This wasn't how it was meant to be.

Despite the fact the two were standing they hadn't actually left the pool and Neji feeling that they had outstayed their welcome, walked over to the bench and pulled their towels off, wrapping one around his neck and pulling the other across Tenten's shoulders before grabbed her hand and leading her out of the pool.

"What do you think you are doing now? You can't just walk away you emotionless pig, Tenten may like you, trust you ... love you almost but you can't love her _back_!" Tiara shouted shaking her head from side to side; she wouldn't believe this she couldn't.

It wouldn't end like this, not without her hurting him back. He had humiliated her and she wouldn't let this one go! Neji found it hard to stay emotionless when she said that. When he didn't say anything not even apologise she felt her world shatter just like Lee.

She bit her lip to stop the heavy sobs that were busting to get out. She wouldn't degrade herself to that, she would wait till she was back in her room to let loose her sorrow and grief. She wasn't finished with him and she didn't think she would ever be able to dish him the amount of pain she was feeling then.

"I know you used me right from the very moment you claimed to want to help. You never wanted to do anything with me, we never did anything but hold hands, we never kissed or hugged, it was because you loved Tenten and you were secretly disgusted by me. Poor little Tiara every Tom, Dick and Harry used her like she was little more than a dog, she wouldn't mind if I just gave her one more kick to add to the pile of bruises" she mocked herself then she turned to Tenten and laughed bitterly, it was a chilling sound.

"Well now you got her and you got him. I hope you're both happy! Don't you come running to me Tenten when you find out just what an emotionless pig he is. I wash my hands of his shit today! It will be that day that you'll run back to Lee and beg him to take you back" she cursed them both before she turned on her heel and forced herself to walk arrogantly and not run away as tear tracks ran down her face.

Neji's face twitched from his emotionless mask but it didn't crumble enough to fall. He just sighed deeply and began to follow after Tiara towards the house. He wanted to apologise to her but at the same time he didn't think she that deserved it.

She wasn't completely innocent during their time together either, no matter what she seemed to claim.

Tenten grabbed his hand back, she didn't want him to apologise as far as she knew he didn't need to. Sure she didn't know the whole story but after the way she had just talked about him she didn't deserve to hear him apologise.

"She is wrong about you! You have inner demons just like everyone else and I understand that you can't talk about it right now. The day you are I'll be right here waiting let me handle this bitch!" she stated with a wink and a blush.

Neji wanted to tell her that it wasn't all Tiara's fault that she was the way she was. He suspected that even some among them that holiday believed that same stereotypes about her as those back home in their high school. Tiara said mean things because she couldn't help herself, she was so used to sitting back and listening to it that sometime words just burst from her when she didn't want them to.

"HEY TIARA!" Tenten shouted and when the greenette turned around when she saw the expression on Tenten's face she meep-ed and ran around to the other side of the pool in fear. The girl looked like she was about to commit murder.

"Listen whore, and listen pretty damn well! You have insulted me and Neji and I just can't be happy with that until I do this" she said calmly though her eyebrow was twitching because she secretly wanted so bad to grab Tiara by the cheeks and shake her around.

Tiara backed away and Tenten smirked, she wouldn't even have to do anything the stupid slut would do it to herself. Tenten made a motion that looked like she was going to punch Tiara in the face. Tiara instantly covered her face and jumped back straight into the pool.

Neji winced feeling bad for a brief moment but when he saw and heard Tenten's laughter he couldn't stop the small smile. Tenten walked towards him and grabbed her arm mentioning that she was hungry after that.

Tiara was left in the pool screaming _bloody _murder!

Itachi sniggered softly as they watched in from the garage and saw the sight, Hinata was worried that the girl was going to drown at first and when she noticed it was the shallow end she couldn't help but give a little smile too.

Itachi and Hinata shared a grin before they too made their way inside with their bags of shopping. Both were glad that Neji had finally showed that girl her place!

**_Though there were losses, there were also new relations and now that Neji and Tenten had found each only good could come from it_**


	15. Dinner Dance

Chapter Fourteen: Dinner Dance

Before anyone really noticed a week had gone past. Everyone was really settled and each had their own routine they did everyday. Hinata and Itachi were generally never around; they had taken to hanging out with Mei and the others.

Sakura and Sasuke were normally at the beach, Sasuke didn't want to stay in the house his parents had died in and Sakura really just wanted to feel the sunshine and work on her tan. She was always up to a bit of body boarding too.

Naruto mostly kept to going to the local arcades or staying in the basement games room in the house, he didn't have anyone to hang out with so it was usually the arcade so that he could hook up with other videogame lovers.

Tiara; well not that anyone really cared what she was doing, she was usually at the mall just sitting with a coffee and people watching, getting some shopping done or she was busy getting her nails done or something similar.

Ino and Shikamaru were always relaxing in the parks, much to Shikamaru's pleasure. He had even managed to show Ino the art of cloud watching and so the two spent most of their afternoons doing so and then when it began to grow dark and the stars came out, they would do a little stargazing.

Neji and Tenten weren't much up for going places and they were happy just to lounge around the house, whether they were watching a movie on the cinema screen in the cinema room or they were lounging out by the pool.

It was one afternoon down at the beach when Sakura and Sasuke spotted some guy going around handing out leaflets for a dinner dance. The price was pretty hefty but nothing that they couldn't afford. Sasuke wasn't so keen but one look at Sakura's face and he knew he would be mad to try and object.

The others were rather weary, well at least the Neji, Itachi and Hinata were. Hinata didn't know how to dance and the guys just didn't like to. The others were more interested in the fact that there would be alcohol. Sasuke had been pretty firm that there was no alcohol in the house.

It wasn't like they had a choice anyways, Sakura had made up her mind that they were going to go so the others just had to go with it. she organised that the guys would get changed up in Itachi's room – much to his displeasure – and the girls decided they would change in the living room.

She also happened to quote that they would be in there all day because looking 'glamorous would take a whole day job'. The others just rolled their eyes and decided to go with it, she could be damn scary when she wanted to be.

Hinata was a little nervous leaving Itachi with the boys since she knew that he really didn't like the others. She was also anxious at being left alone since she hadn't really interacted with any of them except Tenten; and she couldn't even call that interacting.

She was surprised when as soon as Sakura had stopped waffling Tenten ran up to her and started rambling about the random nothings she had been getting up to and what she would be wearing. Hinata completely tuned her out as she watched to see what Itachi would do. She let out a sigh of relief when Neji and Itachi hung back from the others and murmured quietly to each other.

* * *

"So?" Tenten asked curiously, her head cocked to the side as she regarded the look on Hinata's face. The timid girl shook her head slightly before blinking slowly; she really had no idea what Tenten was talking about.

Tenten giggled and nudged her, "I said what are you wearing? You don't need to worry you know; Itachi is a grown boy" she stated knowingly and Hinata blushed and averted her eyes. Tenten cooed before she asked the question again.

Hinata remembered the box that her aunt had packed for her, and the fact that she had left it in Itachi's room. Tenten seemed to have given up on getting an answer as she had began talking again and she had lifted up a dress to show Hinata, it was a pretty light blue one.

A brief sharp knock at the door had all the half dressed; excited girls squealing and running into the corners of the room in a flurry of clothes and shoes. Hinata rolled her eyes at their antics and walked over to open the door.

She certainly didn't need a long time to get ready like they did but they weren't even getting ready, they were simply parading around in their underwear waffling about what they were going to wear and what brand of makeup they had. She wasn't really into all that stuff.

Itachi was on the other side, his eyebrow cocked as he looked at the girls behind Hinata crouching in the corners trying to shield their skinny bodies from his view. He snorted and turned his attention on Hinata; he had no wish to look at the bodies of little girls.

Neji was stood behind Itachi with an amused smile on his face; whether it was the situation itself or something that the two had been talking about Hinata knew that she would never know but she was glad to see that the two were bonding together.

"Neji thought you might need this" Itachi murmured handing the narrow box to her. When she blushed heavily and clutched it to her chest he thought it would be necessary to tell her that he hadn't looked in it. Neji beat him to it,

"We didn't look in it; Naruto was tossing it around when Itachi caught it. let's just say Naruto won't touch your things again", Hinata nodded internally to herself, that must have been why Neji had been smirking in that amused manner.

She was really relieved, she didn't know what she would have done if they had seen the sort of underwear that was in that box. She hated to seem rude but her aunt was a closet pervert. The crazy immature woman would probably be giggling in glee if she knew the situation.

The two turned to leave before Neji seemed to remember something, as he turned around again and then he caught sight of the other girls still chitterling to each other and clutching random items of clothing against their almost flat chests. He too snorted before putting his attention on Hinata again.

"Sasuke said that he booked the seats the dinner starts in two hours" – the girls all screams loudly and began running around the room, throwing clothes here and there as if they had completely forgotten the guys they had been hiding from –"the guy who took the booking said the time had to made earlier for some reason" Neji finally managed to finish over the noise.

Hinata smiled at them both,

"Thanks for bringing my box, I needed it. Thank you for relaying the news too." Neji and Itachi nodded before the retreated back to Itachi's room. They had to make sure the others hadn't destroyed the room; they also probably had to untie Naruto who was hanging of the balcony by his feet.

* * *

The other girls ran around like headless chickens and even made the strange squawking noises to go with. Hinata on the other hand was cool as a cucumber; she slowly worked on her face with a non-transfer powder and she added a slightly rosy blush to her cheeks so her skin didn't appear so pale.

An hour and a half later and the other girls had almost finished dressing; they were just adding that extra coat of mascara or adding a shiny lip gloss to their vibrantly coloured lips. Hinata was sitting in the bathroom on the lid of the toilet.

She didn't really want to come out; she didn't feel beautiful or confident enough to do so. The others looked so amazing and she felt so plain next to them. She didn't have vibrant lips or quirky nails. She didn't have expensive eyeliner or mascara and she had no idea of the designers that made their fantastic dresses.

She felt so out of place it was kind of scary.

Sakura finally ran out of patience with her that she had to drag Itachi, though it was practically the other way around, he was pulling her and her mouth – which was hanging on the floor – along. The pinkette simply couldn't comprehend that he was able to wear something other than baggy clothes and his cloak.

When Itachi got down he didn't pay mind to all the other girls, they all looked at him with something akin to shock as Sakura had; the only one who didn't seem surprised to see he could clean up nicely was Tenten. Somehow that really didn't surprise him either.

All it took was one glare and they were all stuttering excuses as to why they had to leave the room; within three seconds flat the room was completely deserted except for Neji resting against the door with a small smile on his face.

"We'll be in the limo out front waiting; don't take too long", then he too was gone. Itachi sighed lightly and raised a hand to knock on the door but before his pale hand even made contact the door was flung open and Hinata had her mouth poised as if about to start speaking.

She froze in position when she caught sight of him, under all that black he wore he was so beautiful. There was no other word that she could use for him. Itachi Uchiha was so damn beautiful and she had never been so happy to know that he was _**her **_date.

Gone was all his usual garb; he had donned a silk white button up shirt with the top three buttons undone showing his baby smooth pale skin beneath. The silky sleeves had been rolled up slightly allowing his pale arms the air they were normally cut off from. An ebony black blazer with some unknown emblem had been slung around his shoulders and was well balanced as to not fall off.

Slightly flared black trousers sat low on his slim hips with buckled pointy shoes peaking out from the trouser bottoms to make their debut. Hinata didn't even know he possessed such clothing but she did know that he suited it.

"What?" he asked inquisitively when she didn't move from that same position except a gentle flush coating her cheeks and her mouth dropping open more; if he had been anyone else he would either feel self conscious or he would feel smug.

She shook her head as if snapping out of a daze and blushed harder; muttering some useless excuses under her breath that he didn't catch. She looked at her feet and when she saw her tiny sparkling blue stilettos she blushed harder still.

Itachi cocked his eyebrow and sighed, moving forward to lightly grasp her arm,

"You look stunning, don't worry about the others" he murmured and she nodded and steeled herself up. If Itachi said she was stunning then she would believe it because he wasn't one to say empty compliments.

Hinata walked in front and Itachi pulled back slightly to watch her; he hadn't been jesting with her; she really did look stunning. She had always looked beautiful in a modest way but there standing in front of him she looked better than any of the other girls.

The sparkling dark purple sleeveless floor length dress fit her body well, clinging to all the right places and showing the delicious shape she had always seemed to try hard to hide. Tiny sparking blue stilettos could be seen whenever she walked forward; that made her feet like petite and pretty. Small amounts of makeup to emphasise her beauty and not give one false ideas about her like the other girls.

The other girls didn't look as nice, he guessed they were pretty in their own right but they all wore way too much makeup that made them look plastic and older than they really were. Dresses ranging from floor length to thigh length in almost all the colours of the rainbow.

"A-Are you c-c-coming?" Hinata asked turning her body slightly to face him. It was then Itachi realised that he had stopped walking to watch her. He nodded and if one looked close they could see the slight change in his cheek colour. He picked up the pace slightly so that they walked together. Side by side.

* * *

Hinata had never seen such a beautiful place to hold a dance and dinner; she completely blanked out the excited chatter of the other girls and the loud complaints from the guys at the thought of dancing. If she ever got married it would be in a place like this.

There were huge fountains of different shapes and sizes spewing out coloured water into pond like structures around them. There were ice sculptures around the room cut into the most delicate shapes she had ever seen.

She was under such a spell from the magic the room gave off that Itachi had to lightly grasp her hand again and pull her along as the door guards counted their heads and the amount of tickets they had handed in. It wasn't everyday that such young looking teenagers could afford to get into a high class dinner dance.

They quickly took their seats and erupted into a full scale conversation about one thing or the other. Soon the hosts of the party stood up to give a welcome speech before declaring it was time from them to have a feast. When everyone had setted down the host made an action for the servers to come around with the first course.

The servers came around their table near the end when everyone else had been served. Itachi's nose wrinkled slightly when he noticed it was a creamy tomato and basil soup that together with Naruto's large slurping of the soup made his stomach squirm.

When the server got to him he held up his hand and the woman moved on to put some soup into Hinata's bowl. She looked at it unsurely; the others seemed to be enjoying it but she had caught sight of Itachi's nose wrinkle and didn't know if she wanted to risk it.

When he noticed she wasn't eating he smiled at her and leaned forward to whisper in her ear,

"Eat. I'm not hungry", Hinata narrowed her eyes at him and noticed that on the other side Neji also narrowed his eyes at the brunette. Now that he wasn't wearing his big cloak and baggy clothes it was easy to see that he was quite skinny for his age and height.

He ignored their looks and politely sipped on his wine as he had been taught also ignoring as Naruto just slammed his soup plate down and began guzzling his wine down like he had just had the hottest chillies and was drinking water to save himself.

Once everyone had finished their bowls were collected and another course lain down; this time lightly smoked salmon wrapped around crunchy asparagus topped with a sweet strawberry sauce. Itachi allowed the servers to place the meal in front of him but only played with the meal.

Hinata thoroughly enjoyed this course and quickly brushed off her plate, she frowned in worry when she noticed he hadn't eaten this one either. She rested her hand on his upper thigh lightly as if asking for permission and when he gave a little nod she smiled and allowed her hand to rest more firmly.

By the time the main course came Itachi hadn't eaten and Hinata felt her worry grow; Neji whispered something threatening in the brunette's ear before he nodded and reluctantly picked up his folk to eat. He hadn't realised that by this point almost everyone had noticed he hadn't been eating.

Itachi pretended he didn't see their beady eyes watching as every bite of food went into his mouth.

After that course was finished the hosts came up to the screen again and gave their thanks before annocing that the dancing was about to commence. The musicians changed their music sheets from the quiet dinner music to something a little more formal; slow and sweet but still formal.

The others smiled and got their dancing partners before making their way to the large dance floor to begin their slow swaying together. Itachi and Hinata hung back to watch the others dance. Itachi was never one to dance despite knowing how to and Hinata had never been given the chance to learn.

Itachi watched Hinata's face as she looked longingly at the floor as if wishing she was amongst them all, dancing away their worries and fears. He sighed and sat a little straighter; despite his dislike of dance if she wanted to he would be happy to dance with her.

"Would you like to dance Hinata?" he asked quietly and she turned to look at him with panic, he was almost worried that she didn't want to dance with him but didn't know how to reject him until she blushed and looked down at her fingers.

"I-Itachi I-I d-don't k-know h-how t-to d-dance." she stuttered, Itachi raised his eyebrows at first he didn't understand how could a girl like Hinata didn't know how to dance but then he remembered about her parents.

She didn't know how to dance but he could guess that her sister sure could. He pushed down the feelings of anger and hate towards her parents putting their hate onto such a beautiful person. Itachi smiled and pulled her to the floor putting her hands in the right places and whispering in her ear as they began gliding around the room with the others,

"It's all in the leading, if you have a good leader then its easy to dance" he said.

She looked up at him with adoration in her eyes and it was then that he felt a pang deep in his chest. She wasn't like the others and he had to tell her all that he had to tell. That much she deserved.

So they stayed in that one spot, almost like a spotlight and swayed together alone in their own magical world. They were completely oblivious to all the others in the same room dancing or even watching; around them. They only had eyes for each other.

_**By the end of the night the group were almost all drunk, bubbly and no where near ready to sleep, it was time for the Naruto games to begin**_


	16. The Naruto Games

**Review Replies: **

**Sarah - **Aren't they just? I hope this answers your question of what the Naruto games are teehee! Sorry it was a slow update but I hope this long chapter makes up for it! Thank you for reviewing!

**Chapter fifteen: The Naruto Games **

"-and then I was like, I asked for twelve not a dozen and he was like, 'dude, twelve is a dozen-" they all bent at the waist hugging their aching stomachs as they roared with laughter. They never knew that Naruto was so freaking funny!

Hinata couldn't stop the smile that graced her lips, she hadn't touched the alcohol; she didn't want to make a fool of herself much like the rest of them were now. It was a wonder that hadn't been thrown out of the party she had seen the security watching them.

The host of the party and his wife just seemed to wave them off; they must have thought it was funny to watch high school children that could afford such expensive tickets make fools of themselves as they danced the weirdest dances to classical music played on the flute, violin and harp.

"-and get this one guys, why did the blonde have a sore bellybutton? Because … because she had a _**blonde **_boyfriend-" they all roared with laughter again and Itachi couldn't help but feel the corner of his lip twitch.

Hinata giggled into her hand,

Ino laughed madly alongside them until she seemed to understand that she had just been insulted, "**HEY!** Are you calling me dumb?!" she shouted, face slowly changing red and cracks in her heavy set makeup showing.

Silence was upon them so quickly that you could have heard a pin drop, everyone was busy trying to figure out just what Naruto had said to offend her. Shikamaru gently slapped his own cheek and then let out a cry of enlightenment.

"He insulted himself as it was the …." He trailed off slightly speaking so fast that his voice was but a jumbled slur but then he started to pick up what he was saying again, "So Ino you aren't dumb!" everyone started laughing again as Naruto started to scratch his head in confusion.

"You're blonde dobe!" Sasuke added rolling his eyes and Naruto nodded before he realized that he had just been insulted again and let out a squawk of indignation which just drew another round of heavy laughter from the crowds.

Neji sighed, he was feeling the buzz of bubbly rich tasting champagne but he wasn't the happy drunk like everyone else, he was more the depressive, reflective drunk type. In other words he wasn't much different to normal.

"We should get them inside before the next neighbors come out or call the cops" he suggested sensibly and Itachi nodded, he too had had a fair amount to drink but he just happened to have an extremely high tolerance to alcohol

And one had to, if they were in the Akatsuki! With Kisame enjoying a hard drink and almost able to drink under the table, the people in the popular Irish bar down in town. That giant was extremely tolerant in the alcohol and pain department. It was kinda creepy!

* * *

Hinata pulled a random bottle of vodka out of Naruto's hand as he attempted to take a swig and almost spilled it all down his front before snagging the half drunken bottles on the floor from the night before. She wasn't up for cleaning up puke.

As she moved into the kitchen to quickly thrown them into a black bag so that she could return and take the rest she noticed a small dainty girl shuffle into the kitchen with the rest. At first Hinata thought the girl had broken in, until she realized she was pretty familiar.

The rather plain girl blushed brightly, "I'm Chihiro, I was dancing with Naruto I have an extremely low tolerance for alcoholic beverages but I thought you might need some help with them, since so many are drunk and you don't want them to choke on their vomit or anything. I know the recovery position and I know how to resuscitate people. I also know the DR ABC!" she blinked her massive brown eyes as she spoke.

Hinata found that the girl, Chihiro reminded her of a little innocent child, she almost wanted to grab her cheeks and coo at her. "N-Nice to m-meet you C-C-Chihiro I'm Hinata!" she replied but before the younger of the two could reply they heard a loud cry followed by applause from the next room.

They both looked at each other before running to see what was happening, they didn't think the guys could handle it. Well Neji was drunk anyways just slightly more …. of a drunk that acted normal. Itachi wasn't drunk but he would probably take glee watching them choke on their vomit.

* * *

"Thank you, Thank you!" Naruto was belting from the top of his lungs as he bowed around the room from the sofa he stood on, he was pretending to take off a hat as he bowed to each person. Itachi was looking on with bored eyes while the others were going crazy with their clapping.

Even Sasuke though he seemed to be a rather strange drunk, he had his trademark scowl on his face but he was clapping and jeering just as enthusiastically as the others. Hinata almost wished she could record them all for blackmail material.

"Now after the wait of a lifetime, the **Naruto Games** will finally begin!" Naruto yelled before jumped off the sofa in some sort of Busted-Year-3000-kind-of-way and everyone began singing their own versions of a theme tune that melded together to form some sort of horrendous sound that would make dogs and cats commit suicide.

Hinata and Chihiro exchanged worried looks, they weren't so sure this was going to be a very good idea after all but they didn't want to be the ones to end all this fun the happy drunks seemed to be having.

"**Naruto we love you!" **Sakura yelled lifting her dress and flashing him in her happiness and Ino; not wanting to be left out quickly joined in wanting to best the pinkette,

"**No way Naruto I love you more!!" **as they both argued and tried to outdo each other getting louder and louder no one saw Lee slowly creep to the front of the room until he was literally in front of Naruto and his watchers.

"**No!! **It is** I** Naruto, Lee that loves you the most and to show it I will show to you this youthful body that all wishes to see**!" **the strange thick eyebrow-ed boy proclaimed before pulling down on the green jumpsuit that he was wearing underneath his formal attire.

If one was in the west the scene would resemble the scene that everyone knew with the whole tumbleweed idea would be playing out. Neji sighed angrily and grabbed the creepy boy out by the ear to give him a warning talk before letting him back in.

Lee looking thoroughly chastised.

"Dobe are you actually going to tell us what we are playing?" Sasuke asked looking bored and Naruto nodded with a large smile that almost reached his ears. He was so proud of himself and his greatness. No one had ever thought of this game.

"I'm glad you asked resident Teme! We are playing **Naruto Truth and Dare … **for beginners." The name didn't get the impact he had hoped in fact if one listened closely they could hear the crickets from outside as the drunks tired to comprehend if that was an original name.

"Isnt that just truth or dare?" Tenten asked, her eyebrow cocked and Naruto frowned at her,

"No no no! it is **Naruto Truth and Dare …** for beginners!"

Sasuke cocked both his eyebrows,

"Well done genius you just added 'Naruto' and two more words. You could have just said that it was Truth or Dare. I'm pretty sure putting your own name on it is plagiarism!" Sasuke informed the blonde who just blew a raspberry in return.

"Maybe so stoneboy **BUT **do they have the same rules? Instead of rushing into the juicy questions we begin cautiously so we can get to know each other better-

"We have known each other since we were children!" Shikamaru reminded him unhelpfully and Naruto just motioned him to shut his trap followed by flipping him off before he continued.

-the kind of questions we can ask would be Sasuke teme why the hell do you where your hair like a chicken?" he told them shuffling over to Sasuke and petting his pointy hair, carefully dancing out the way as the other tried to swat him.

He kneeled next to Sasuke and tried (and failed) to copy his normal stoic facial expression, "So that I can catch everything that goes over my head!" he mocked with a grin and the others giggled even as Sasuke shot him a dark look.

Itachi found his lip twitching again; that was a good one!

"You can also do dares like-" he slithered over to Itachi and tugged on his hair bun "-Tachi-chan I dare you to let your pretty hair down for us all to see!" everyone held their breaths waiting for Naruto brain to splat the floor.

Itachi just glared at the boy and he backed off nervously; Sasuke sniggering quietly to himself. When Naruto asked if they understood they all nodded and he ordered they all got into a circle. Hinata, Neji and Chichiro all made their place into the circle but Itachi stood up and began making his way to the door.

"W-Where are you g-going?" Hinata asked shyly when she realized that Itachi hadn't come to sit in the position she had saved next to herself. He paused his sneaky escape and turned around to see that everyone was watching him.

"I won't play this ridiculous childish game" he commented quietly and Sasuke giggled to himself leaving Ino and Sakura swooning. They had only heard Sasuke _giggle _in their dreams. It was just as beautiful as they imagined.

"What's up Ita-chan are you too _scarewd?" _he taunted; Itachi rolled his eyes. If Sasuke thought that challenging him would make him want to play he was barking up the wrong tree, there was nothing that would make him play.

"**Sit** Uchiha! You make one more step and you may find that you regret it!" One look into Neji's eyes and Itachi found himself actually considering it. The brunette was drunk and Itachi could easily take him down if he attacked but there was something about him that just screamed that he had some sort of blackmail material.

Itachi sighed and sat next to Hinata who grinned happily at him.

Naruto tapped his feet loudly at them before he plonked noisily on the ground next to Chihiro happily, "Finally let the **games **begin!"

* * *

"Neji, Naruto truth or Naruto dare?" Naruto asked with a grin and Neji sighed, rolling his eyes. He was actually wishing he had made the escape with Itachi. This game was really actually quite lame and he would never agree if someone asked to having played it.

"Dare"

"Well then, I Naruto dare you to let Tenten put makeup on you and tie your hair into two preschool girl pony tails on either side of your head!" Tenten smiled as she pulled out bubblegum pink lipstick from her purse and applied it to Neji's pale lips.

She then tested the elastic abilities of her hair bands before grabbing Neji's hair. Naruto was a genius she had been wanting to do this for YEARS but she just felt embarrassed asking him to let him 'girl' him up for a day!

The drunks all erupted in a roar of laughter and even Itachi couldn't stop the chuckle that erupted from his lips though no one seemed to hear it but Neji who sent him a glare that could melt the remaining ice caps in Antarctica.

Neji smirked as he knew what revenge he could get,

"Itachi, Naruto truth or Naruto dare?"

"…Dare…"

Neji internally giggled, Itachi really did just make it too _easy _for him.

"I Naruto dare you to eat the large oven pizza we have in the fridge and if you don't your forfeit is to make out with … Sasuke!" Itachi paled considerably and Sasuke looked slightly green the others were jeering and making cat calls.

When the pizza was ready they all sat in the circle and watched Itachi like vultures as he tore a big of the pizza off with his knife and folk and almost gagged at the amount of grease that rolled off it but he gulped and placed the miniscule piece in his mouth and forced himself to swallow.

The group of drunks began to get bored of watching the paler Uchiha slowly make his way through the large pizza that they decided to carry on."Itachi though you are still doing your dare it's your turn" Naruto said with an amused smile.

Itachi stopped and smirked back and Neji.

"Okay Neji lets say you say dare" he said pausing, he knew that Neji would agree but he didn't want the others to think he was cheating and making the other make his choice, he carried on when Neji nodded, "I dare you to let me stop eating" he smirked and Neji narrowed his eyes, if that was the way the Uchiha wanted to play well ...

The two carried on backwards and forwards until Ino cleared her throat with a vein popping out her head in anger, it was funny to begin with but now it was just started to get boring and out of control, "there are other players you know guys! Just forget the fucking pizza jeeze!" she shouted.

Both stopped and nodded.

After several more dares and truths such as, Hinata been asked why her face was nearly always red, Ino being asked why she seemed to copy what Sakura did, why Sasuke had a chicken hair do, Daring Sakura to let Ino cut her long locks, Why tiara was such a bitch, Daring Lee to share off half of his fuzzy eyebrows and why Shikamaru was so lazy.

Then Naruto thought it was time to take the game to a whole new level.

* * *

"Alright folks! I think we got it, now it's time to take this shit to a **whole **new level!" he smiled before jumping onto the sofa and pelting from the top of his lungs, "**ITS TIME TO PLAY, NARUTO TRUTH OR DARE FOR INTERMIDATE PLAYERS**"

The group sitting around in the circle all sweat dropped, Naruto was so weird ....!

Naruto spread his arms and attempted a stage dive off the sofa and Lee was there to catch him before he hit the ground, after thanking the eccentric brunette he scuttered over to Tiara and grinned ignoring her scowl and her hand moving through her green locks.

"In this one you could say Tiara move your fat ass and sit on Lee's lap, for a dare, as well as…" he smirked picking her up easily and dropping her on Lee; ignoring her shout of annoyance and missing her shaking first, back flipping (which caused a round of applause) and skipping towards Sasuke.

"you could say Sasuke why don't you and Sakura have a little peck" he cackled slamming both Sasuke and Sakura's heads together and crackling louder when they both groaned loudly as their heads knocked together loudly.

He then made his way back to his seat next to Chihiro and smiled before wiggling his index finger at them back and forth quickly, "Since its only intermediate you cannot kiss long, feel each other's lower body or ask personal questions such as sexual fantasies. You can however ask who people liked and who they wanted to kiss etc."

"Once again I'll start, Sakura, Naruto truth or Naruto dare?"

"That's easy, Naruto truth!" Ino blew a raspberry and began jeering, complaing about how much of a coward the girl was. Naruto told the girl to shove off before giving Sakura all his attention as he thought of a question.

"How does it feel when Chicken brain kissed you?" he asked with a leer, rather reminding Itachi of one of the pervy street walkers that the Akatsuki used to have to deal with when they were out and about searching for information.

Sakura blushed heavily, she didn't know how she was going to explain this one, it wasn't really something she could explain well. "W-Well i-it f-feels good, my knees go all weak and I kind lose the ability to think all I know is Sasuke and this wonderful feeling we are sharing." she told them nervously and they all nodded in interest.

"Well then Naruto, Naruto dare or Naruto truth?" she asked and he picked dare.

"Kiss Chihiro!" she grinned and Chihiro stole the red right off Hinata as she gazed at the handsome yet incredible strange young man next to her. She was still unable to believe that he had asked her instead of all her gorgeous siblings to dance. She remembered their envious faces. Naruto was well known for being the adoptive son of Jiraiya Sannin; a well known female romance novelist.

Naruto smiled tenderly at her, almost mentally telling her that everything was going to be alright. Then their lips met briefly, how she longed it was for longer but she was happy that she even got to have her first kiss. Not that she would ever tell anyone.

"Fuzzybrows, Naruto truth or Naruto dare?" he asked

Lee smirked and Tenten rolled her eyes, she could just imagine what kind of crap was going to spew from his mouth. "I shall go for dare because if I don't I shall…"

"**SHUT UP LEE**!!!" everyone screamed at him before he went on an unstoppable tangent about the spirit of youth and all that crap. and he sat down and cowered from the group.

"I dare you to touch Tiara's lady lumps" he smiled and Itachi resisted the urge to shiver, Naruto _really _was like those pervy old street walkers that the Akatsuki had to deal with. He could just imagine the blonde being among them when he was old.

That is if he didn't decided to just take over from his adoptive father and write porno books that he just liked to call _female _romance books in order to make himself feel better. Itachi shook his head, some people really were sick!

Tenten was disgusted as she watched her ex-boyfriend fondle the little whore's chest, she hated them both so much that she almost thought they were perfect for each other. They were such an ugly couple that deserved an equally ugly relationship!

When he had finished, well it was more like when Naruto had almost screamed himself hoarse telling them to remember the rules of the game did they actually stop and Tiara giggled before turning to look at Tenten smugly.

"I have no idea why you dumped him darling, you have no idea what your missing" she smirked, flicking her hair back and Tenten started to get angry. She had shown this bitch the first time and she had been nice enough not to tell the others what had happened but she would be damned if she just sat there and let her try again.

"'I'm not missing anything _dear_, it feels good not acting like a fucking whore, unlike some people it just doesn't come naturally for me" she smirked and tiara sneered as the group started jeering, that was a pretty low blow, considering the rumours that followed Tiara wherever she went.

"Ouch ... well okay…tiara it's your turn" Naruto said nervously, he didn't want to start a fight, this was only meant to be a bit of fun and since they were all only just beginning to sober and they were still mostly drunk he didn't want to cause fights yet.

Tiara smirked, "Tenten Naruto dare or Naruto truth, don't be a little chicken now, what can a whore do but spread her legs hmm?" she smirked allowing them to think what that willed about the rumours, if it would help her image, why not just work with it.

Tenten stared her down not giving in.

"Fine then bitch, bring it the fuck on! Naruto dare" she smiled and Tiara sniggered, that was just as the doctor ordered!

"Tenten I Naruto dare you to kiss lee while you sit on his lap" she smiled and Tenten tensed up straight away, her face losing all colour. All she could think about was that time before with Lee leering over her and the implication of what would have happened had she not acted as she did.

Neji's eyes sobered quickly and he frowned, "No! Lee and Tenten are not allowed contact with each other for the rest of this journey! Choose another game or forfeit your go" he told her sternly and she looked chastised for about a millisecond before she smiled.

"Poor ickle Tenten, having to hide behind Mister Emotionless! It's pretty lame you know, maybe you shouldn't play anymore if you cannot handle the pressure because it's going to Naruto advance baby and this game is just beginning!" she sneered and Naruto spluttered at the girl almost trying to take control of his game.

Itachi felt something within himself snap when he looked at Hinata and saw her gnarling her lip almost to the point of bleeding she was almost scared by this Tiara girl and he didn't like it. He knew that Neji could take care of Tenten and himself but as long as Hinata looked that way he would have to intervene until it left.

He wouldn't have her hurting herself because of the wickedness of others! His obasidan eyes changed into a black and red kaleidoscopic mess as his anger rose, she was going to regret it, Tiara that was!

"My sanity is constantly being monitored and I am on the border line of being sectioned all it takes is for you to push me more and you will be on this floor with at least a quater of your bones broken if your friends stop me! It would be sensible to stop before I do something that you regret! I don't care what happens or what I do to you, jail can't break me and hell some little shit bag whore isn't going to break my friends into getting themselves into jail where I **know** they cannot handle it" he said his voice dangerously low in a threatening way.

Sasuke shivered, his brother was pissed, even more pissed than when he found out they were staying there and when he was like that his threats became pretty much true. The more pissed off Itachi was, the lower his tone and the more he talked. That was a pretty long winded speech so it was safe to say he was pretty hacking pissed off!

Even Neji and Tenten were shocked that he was standing up for them, hell everyone was shocked he was standing up for them though Hinata smiled at him for doing such a nice thing. She knew that there was some good in him despite what everyone else thought. He may say some really graphic things but he was a good person at heart!

Tiara looked like she was about to piss herself and she gulped and instantly shut her mouth, her eyes watering so much that they could see her holding back her tears to keep her dignity, though she was only just able to keep hold of them though the tears welled up more and more!

Naruto cleared his throat and Itachi shook his head his strange 'sharingan' eyes were no more, left in their wake was his beautiful indifferent obsidian eyes that he happened to share with his younger brother.

She smiled and shook her head, Itachi was so strange sometimes!

Naruto pathetically laughed and scratching the back of his head before jumping up on his spot and pretending to speak into a microphone, he didn't want people getting out of their drunken moods not while they had been having so much fun.

He pulled out two medium sized bottles of vodka from under his shirt and passed them around after taking a gulp for himself, it was time to get this party moving on before they all stopped having fun! That was something that he wouldn't allow to happen, Tiara or no Tiara!

"Moving swiftly on, its time for that moment that you have all been waiting for! Yes thats right you guessed it, **ITS TIME FOR NARUTO TRUTH AND NARUTO DARE ... ADVANCE!**" he jigged over to Sakura with a grin as she took a large swig from the vodka bottle, she was going to need it.

"In this game you could ask; for Naruto truth ... Sakura who do you most want to shag, and she would have to tell you or you could say…" he paused as he made his way back over to where Chihiro was sitting and trying to stop Ino was forcing the Vodka down her throat.

"If you had to snog someone in this room, who would it be?" he smiled at her as she turned her gaze to the floor in embarrassment and everyone smiled because they knew exactly who was going through her mind even if the guy himself didn't know.

Naruto quickly moved on, snatching the bottle from Ino and taking another long swig before giving it back to continue his rules, "For a Naruto dare you could say Ino I Naruto dare you to French kiss Shikamaru" he smiled and moved in time; out of Ino's arm range only to trip and fall over a nearby couch.

If there had been music playing then it would have just abruptly have come to an end as they waited for Naruto to jump up and continue his explanation and after what felt like hours the blonde jumped up though he was really unsteady on his feet and grinned, the music would have continued just then.

He went back to his seat and smiled at Chihiro, no one had heard her speak yet and he wanted them to see just why he liked her; he knew the others had seen her gorgeous family and he knew that Ino and Sakura were probably mentally screaming why he didn't choose one of her more exotic siblings.

She may have been plain compared to them but she was so much more than them in all ways!

"Chihiro?" he smiled and she nodded and cast a big smiled at everyone, encouraged when they sent her an equally bright smile back. She focused on Hinata whom was only asked really nice things to do because everyone was weary of Itachi.

She wasn't going to ask something nasty but she wanted Hinata to get more involved with the game so that she didn't feel that Itachi was unintentionally excluding her from the game. Even though she was sure that Hinata probably didn't even notice.

"Hinata Naruto truth or Naruto dare?" she asked and Hinata looked to Itachi who shrugged and she quietly replied dare. If everyone else was going to be strong then she was too, she wasn't going to let them think she was a coward, no matter what.

Chihiro smiled somewhat deviously,

"I Naruto dare you to go outside here and kiss Itachi for twenty seconds while everyone looks from the key hole in here" she said and Hinata went bright red and started to feel faint as the blood rushed to her face.

Itachi shrugged, such dares didn't bother him, it was nothing short of a game and if she didn't want it to mean anything then it wouldn't, end of story. He stood and helped her up, the two walked outside and closed the door.

Itachi leaned in to talk to her, he whispered into her ear first so that the others wouldn't hear, there was no need for them to hear if he had to give her a little pep talk. It was no business of theirs as long as they completed the dare.

"Relax. It's just a game" he said and she shook her head and he looked at her in confusion he didn't see what he had said for her to shake her head. She smiled and stood on her tip toes to whisper back into his ear.

If she was going to speak her mind she didn't want any tom, dick or harry to hear her.

"I k-know it might not m-m-mean much to you b-but it means s-something to me Itachi, I l-like you" she whispered pulling back and he smiled softly at her. And she beamed though she could tell it wasn't a fake one it wasn't _his_ hidden smile.

One day, she knew she was going to see it and she would do everything in her power to get it out of him!

They leaned in and their lips met, Hinata closed her eyes first and slowly wrapped her arms around his back and though he was shocked at her sudden boldness he smiled into the kiss and closed his own eyes wrapping his arms causally around her hips and letting them rest there.

The kiss lasted longer than it was meant to but neither of them cared, sort of like how Sakura had described northing mattered but themselves and the kiss they were sharing. Then they break slowly broke the kiss knowing that they needed air.

Both smiling and surprisingly both blushing they rested their foreheads together, Hinata's face was deep red and Itachi's was light red but since he was so pale it showed up easily.

* * *

When they got back in Neji smirked at him and pointed to his face in amusement, the Uchiha obviously hadn't seen his face in the mirror or else he certainly wouldn't have come back in until he had 'sorted himself out'.

"Looks like your pulling a Hinata on us Itachi, your face is red" he smirked and Itachi narrowed his eyes but ignored him in favour of listening to Hinata when she realised that no one else had noticed his red face.

He mentally smiled in amusment as Hinata said the next dare, it was a dare that made him proud!

"Tiara I Naruto dare you to beg forgiveness from Neji and Tenten at the same time, if they don't think you are serious then I will give you a forfeit" she smirked her eyes firm and the group looked surprised even Tiara herself. The girl wasn't known for being firm about something unless she was really passionate about it.

In the end Tenten and Neji didn't think she was sorry Hinata gave have a forfeit of letting both Tenten and Neji push her into the pool at any end they wanted and to leave her there until she got out or someone helped her out.

Tiara cried as she was pushed in and left until Lee eventually went to get her and Itachi stood back and smiled at the sight of Hinata looking so in control of problems. Hinata slightly bit her lip worried she was being a little harsh but seeing the delight on her cousin and Tenten's faces pushed that guilt back.

Itachi watched the play of emotions on her face, though she had been unkind, Hinata was always thinking of a way to justify her mean actions to herself even if they needed to be done. She was the type to cry if she stepped on a slug by accident.

_**That's when he noticed it was true he really did like her and he was sure that he loved her, when they kissed he felt a connection and he knew the connection was there for a reason, little did he knew the pale lilac eyed Hyuuga was thinking the same thing as she watched him turn and walk away, they just both needed a way to tell each other and both had pretty good ideas!**_

* * *


	17. Girls Day Out

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Zuki Miyazaki - Please don't kill me, I know it has been forever and I'm pretty sure that everyone is mad with me right now, I'm sorry!! Update or two will come tomorrow, I swear !! Thanks for your review and I'm really sorry!

**Chapter Sixteen: Girls Day Out**

The next day was mostly a doss another day, no one wanted to do anything, no one wanted to even move. Hell they were all asleep anyways. Hinata herself didn't wake until around late morning, 10:30-ish which was quite late for her since she was used to waking at daybreak when she lived with her parents and just plain early when she was with back with Tia.

As soon as her pale eyes slid open she was met with the narrow concerned onyx eyes of Itachi, she probably would have screamed if she wasn't still so groggy from just waking. His eyes were warmer than usual, almost as if he were in a good mood.

"Morning, are you well?" he asked curiously and Hinata's eyebrows furrowed how on earth wouldn't she be well, she thought back to the night ... early morning even, and found that after Tiara was pushed into the water she didn't really remember what else had happened.

Itachi must have noticed her confusion as he began speaking again, slowly as if sensing that she still wasn't fully awake,

"You fainted, it was Tenten's truth" he stated as if it were a matter of fact issue, Hinata was still confused but she just nodded, she had no recollection and she was sure that he would further explain if it was something to be worried about. He turned to walk towards the balcony in order to look out to see the day starting out.

"Would ... Would you like to go to dinner .... with me?" his soft murmur penetrated the silence and Hinata scrambled out of bed to join him at the balcony where she looked up at his face, trying to gage his reaction, he really was adorable, he seemed really unsure of himself, like he had never asked this.

Hinata smiled brightly, he really did just wanted to go to dinner with her, "W-What d-do y-you m-mean l-like a-a d-date?" she asked shyly trying to hide her excitement and she almost coo-ed out loud when she saw his pale cheeks come out with spots of pale pink.

_He was soo cute! _

He nodded, eyes not looking at her and she grinned and reached up to peck his cheek before blushing tomato,

"I c-can takes the g-girls shopping then t-they can help me find a d-d-dress" she smiled and he nodded once more, turning away from the view to look at her beaming face, he had no idea that she would be so happy that he wanted to go to dinner with her.

"You can borrow the Hummer, follow me and take Mei with you, take one of my cells with you"

She smiled brightly again and began rushing around the room to get ready, she couldn't wait to tell the others, they would be so jealous, or at least Sakura would be because Sasuke would never take her to an expensive restaurant and they had been together a long time.

* * *

Hinata found most of the girls in the living room chatting amongst themselves and some of the guys, who looked well and truly hung over, which really didn't surprise her considering the amounts they had drank the night before. She shivered when the sounds of regurgitation reached her ears.

It could only be Naruto, none of the other boys or girls had drank as much as he had, Poor Chihiro ran from the kitchen in one of Naruto's long shirts where she seemed to be making some kind of concoction to help with their hangovers to make sure he wasn't sick on himself.

"W-Would you girls like to c-come s-shopping with me? I ... I n-need a n-n-new dress" Hinata stated, standing in the middle of the room as she wringed the bottom of her calf length, pale blue trousers. She was so embarrassed! Sakura squealed causing groans amongst the hung over young men.

"What car?" Ino asked, eyes sparkling, she knew that Itachi had some really nice cars and nothing was better than looking good, cruising in a nice car. Tenten perked up too, she definitely wanted to know since she would probably be the one to drive it if Itachi wasn't dropping them himself.

"T-The H-H-Hummer, w-would you like t-to drive T-Tenten?" Hinata asked shyly and Tenten whooped and punched the air with her fist, she really did want to get behind the wheel of that monster. Ino screwed up her face, being a delicate girl as she was, being swamped by such a beastly car – truck – wasn't cute.

"Aren't we invited?" Naruto asked swaying out of the bathroom and wiping his mouth with the bottom of his sleeping shirt. As Hinata started to stutter incoherently Sakura took the spot light, Hinata was too nice to tell the boy no, and she definitely would love to do it.

"**NO BOYS**!" Sakura shouted, sniggering to herself when more upset groans were the response and she shrugged, "If you had gotten up early like Ino-pig and I, AND taken the concoction from Chihiro then you wouldn't be feeling as you do. Suck it up!"

Naruto rushed straight back into the bathroom looking green and the other guys got up and left the room, Neji walked in from the kitchen and took a seat, he had been one of the smart ones and taken the weird drink that Chihiro had mixed together, he learnt to just drink it instead of ask since it looked so fucking disgusting.

Tenten shook her head,

"They should be ashamed to call themselves men! I could drink the lot of them under the table!" she sent a glare at Ino when the blonde mentioned something about Tenten just happening to be a very masculine girl. Chihiro stumbled out of the bathroom, her arm flung around Naruto's waist and smiled weakly at Hinata,

"I really would love to come but I can't, I don't have any other clothes than the ones I wore last night and I really should be around in case the boys choke on their vomit or something ... and I don't think they are the type to clean up their mess so I think I can do it for them."

The other girls winced, she seemed all too happy to clean up vomit belonging to someone else, it really was quite disgusting. Nevertheless Hinata smiled at her and mentioned that if she needed she could borrow some of Hinata's own clothes and that it wouldn't be a problem.

Tiara pranced into the room seemingly perfectly miss sunshine, as if everything that happened last night never did. The girls watched with furrowed eyebrows as she smiled and held the door open for Chihiro before almost _skipping _to the monstrous fridge to grab the apple she placed in there earlier.

Then she came to stand with them, as they finished getting their things together for the trip, Tenten cocked an eyebrow at her as if wondering why she was soiling their views with her presence. "Who said you were invited?" she asked unkindly and the other guys stopped chatting amongst themselves to watch but not interfere.

Tiara blinked but her cheerful smile never wavered, "I'm sorry I didn't know this was your trip." Tenten grit her teeth and narrowed her eyes dangerously, she really had had enough of this bitch. Hinata stood between them nervously, she really didn't mind if Tiara wanted to come.

"It isn't, its Hinata's but in case you didn't realise she didn't direct the question at you and you weren't even here to hear the question. So maybe you should understand that she doesn't want you here!" Tiara shrugged, her smiled faltered a little before it strengthened again.

"Well Hinata here did say asked if 'us girls' wanted to go with her and I don't know about you ... since your butch and all but I'm all feminine so I'm pretty sure that invitation is open to me," she smirked before taking a loud bite out of her apple and walking past, green hair flowing around her like a curtain.

Ino and Sakura's mouths hit the ground; Tenten had definitely lost that one,

"Was it the Hummer Hinata?" Tiara asked with a little smile as she turned around and Hinata stepped up and nodded quickly, still in shock over what had just happened, the greenette winked and turned to keep going down to the garage. Tiara had really won that one, hands fucking down!

Hinata looked at the other girls and rushed after Tiara, Ino looked at Tenten and smirked as she coated her lips in more lip gloss and Tenten sniffed at her, "Open your mouth and I'll shove that tube of lip gloss down your throat!" then she stormed after the other two girls.

Sakura sniggered at the whole thing as Ino's mouth was dropped open, "Better shut that mouth Ino-pig or you're going to catch spiders!"

"Aren't you riding with us Itachi? There is plenty of room for you to sit in with us!" Tenten yelled across the large garage when she noticed him enter the garage but walk in a different direction to them, he looked up at her with unreadable eyes before shaking his head ... the idea of riding with five – six – screaming girls wasn't his idea of fun.

Tenten almost drooled when she saw him ride up in one all mighty sexy bike, "I guess that answers my question!" Hinata looked torn between the bike and the Hummer, on one hand she wanted to be with Itachi but on the other hand she wanted to be with her friends.

Hinata couldn't help but admire the bike with its sleek black paint coating with silver flames going up each side, this was most definitely Itachi's baby, the Hummer must have been a close second but the way he handled this bike ... well.

"Are you riding?" Itachi asked and Hinata decided to bite the bullet, you only live once and she was sure this was going to be a ride that she would never forget! She nodded and jogged over to him, pulling the helmet over her head and letting Itachi do up the straps for her.

He pulled down her visor before dealing with his own, Tenten honked the horn and the other girls squeaked at the loud sound, "let's go!" she yelled from the window. Itachi put up his hand and looked back to make sure Hinata was leaning forward as not to disrupt the balance on the bike.

"Hold on!" he warned and Hinata heard it clear as day, she could see his helmeted head and was sure that she wouldn't normally be able to hear him so she thought there must have been a microphone and speaker in the helmet itself.

"I-Itachi m-maybe this isn't a good idea, what if I f-f-fall?! What if someone s-s-smashes into us?!"

Itachi turned around and started the engine, smiling when he heard Tenten rev the monster she was sitting behind, he could guess that she had wanted to do that for a while now. "Hold on and you won't fall and trust me!"

Before Hinata had a chance to make a comeback Itachi was off and she found that all she could do was pray and hold on tight, she tried to ignore as he chuckled at her in-between weaving through traffic and making close calls. When they pulled into familiar gates and began to slow, Hinata slowly eased on her back breaking hold.

* * *

Mei was already waiting out front for them with a little purse back, which was no doubt filled with random things that a young girl liked to carry around with her when she went shopping. She marched over to them as Itachi got off his bike and began helping Hinata, whose muscles had frozen up.

Mei laughed at her,

"She would have a heart attack if she saw the way I ride pillion" Itachi smiled and nodded, that was most definitely true, Mei was a crazy girl, she liked to ride backwards pillion, she claimed that she liked to see other peoples shocked expressions but Itachi thought she just liked to see other people in other cars give him evils for letting a young girl do something so dangerous.

Tenten pulled in after them and parked just in front before hopping down from the driver's seat, "Are you going to be stopping here?" she asked Itachi as he finally gave Hinata the hand she needed to get off after her muscles had released.

He nodded, "Do you need directions? Or should I take you there?" he asked and she shook her head and smiled,

"It's no problem I know this place kinda, I think that I can find my way, should I make my way back here afterwards?" she asked and Itachi shook his head as he handed his wallet and a cell over to Hinata, who placed them in her rucksack,

"Just give me a call, I'll get Mei, you can take the Hummer back"

Hinata and Mei smiled at him before they made their way, together with Tenten into the beasty SUV and drove off, Itachi shook his head. He really was all too generous but he was certain that Hinata wouldn't give his wallet to Mei and he was almost certain that Tenten wouldn't total his baby.

"Itachiiiiiii unn, I made cookies yeah!"

Itachi sighed at Deidara's voice; he really was friends with a whole bunch of psychos!

* * *

"Shopping" Sakura sighed happily, how she loved thee. There was nothing like a skinny vanilla latte and a day filled with shopping on a card that didn't draw money from your own bank account. Not that she would ever tell Sasuke that she knew where his card had gone.

He probably already knew, that boy had eyes behind his head.

"You can say that again!" Ino giggled to herself as she looked at all the different designer brands they passed, the two looked at each other and grinned, the same thought in mind.

"Skinny caramel?" Ino asked

"Skinny vanilla?" Sakura replied

They grabbed each other's hand,

"Lattes will rule the world, **LET'S GO!**" before anyone could say anything to stop them, the two rivals slash latte fiends had run off to the closest coffee house.

Tiara rolled her eyes and pulled up her sunglasses looking after the running girls with distaste,

"How childish, well whatever," she sighed turning to Hinata she gave a little wave, "See you around." Then the confident greenette sauntered off, not noticing she had the eyes of many of the male population. Tenten sneered whereas Hinata furrowed her eyebrows; there was more to that girl that bitchiness.

"Hey Hina-chan can we get some cookies? Mei and Deidei made some cinnamon nightmares but then you came to pick Mei up before she could eat one!" the girl asked tugging on Hinata's jacket before Hinata could accept Tenten grabbed Hinata's hand.

"We can get cookies later, Hinata I know the best place to get a dress, just follow me!" she grinned before dragging the shy girl off. Mei pouted angrily before she noticed Tiara standing in an ice cream queue, she didn't know the girl but she had been with Hinata so she couldn't be all that bad.

"GreenPrincess-chan, will you buy me a cookie?" she asked cutely and Tiara looked down at her with a raised eyebrow,

"You're Itachi's brat aren't you?" she asked and when Mei nodded she sighed just as the cashier asked what she wanted, "Mint ice cream and whatever this brat wants too." Mei screamed and hugged Tiara's leg before she began sprouting off what she wanted.

Tiara shook her head as she handed over the bill but she couldn't say that she minded, seeing the cute kid's smile really brightened up her day, her eyes were drawn to the corner and she noticed a trio of guys watching them closely. She decided to keep a close eye on them but she smiled at whatever the kid – Mei – was saying to her.

* * *

"How about this one?" Tenten asked shoving another dress at Hinata, Hinata didn't want to be rude but as much as she liked Tenten she just didn't like the dresses she was picking. She liked something a little less showy, she liked to look conservative but elegant as well, Tenten was more if you got it, show it.

"I d-don't think t-this is the s-shop for m-me, I-I'm sorry" Hinata stuttered feeling bad when Tenten's face fell, she really was trying to help but they had tried three stores already and Hinata just didn't like anything. Tenten didn't want to say anything but what Hinata picked out was just black and boring; the girl had a great figure and needed to show it more.

Before they could say anything else Mei ran in puffing and huffing, "Hinata you gotta come quickly, some guys just cornered Tiara and I think they are going to hurt her!" Hinata's eyes widened, as did Tenten's and the two of them dropped the dresses, got their things and rushed out the shop.

"I'll get Ino and Sakura, you get Tiara" Tenten yelled, half in panic and half because she wasn't able to use a quiet voice at that time. Hinata wanted to ask just what Tenten thought she could do but the brunet had already run off, Mei grabbed Hinata's hand tight.

She had watched the guys fight before and Sasori had even taught her some things he thought she might find useful when Kisame wasn't around but there was a big difference in being taught and actually putting them to use. She was really scared.

Hinata took a deep breath and looked at the girl besides her,

"You should go into a shop and wait there, I can handle this!" she said, steeled up and ready to go, she wasn't going to get scared and chicken out, Tiara needed help. Mei looked in awe as Hinata seemed to glow with confidence and she made herself calm and feel strong too, she wasn't going to let Hinata do it alone.

She smirked,

"Mei needs to stay with Hina-chan to make sure she doesn't trip up and knock everyone out instead of the bad guys, I'm not Ita-kun's daughter for nothing, I'll show this guy not to mess with Mei-chan's cookie provider!" the girl promised before pulling Hinata in the direction of trouble.

* * *

Hinata's mouth dropped open, Tiara was standing in front of them and she was beating them up, there were three of them, down the side in between two shops. One was already down for the count and Tiara was steadily beating up the one in front of her.

She moved with practiced grace as if she knew what she was doing, it only served as a reminder that Tiara had more than one side, she wasn't just the bitch and the girlie girl, she was also the don't mess with me or I'll kick your ass girl as well.

"Take this _bitch_!" the third guy ran to take Tiara from the back and she dived to the side and let the two goons crash into each other and while they scrambled to their feet she dropped down into a defensive position ready to kick more ass. They looked at her face and then they noticed Hinata and Mei watching, their eyes went straight to Mei.

A child they could use as bait, one grabbed hold of Hinata while the other grabbed hold of Mei, Tiara gasped and crouched down ready in front of them trying to work out a skill, what she hadn't been counting on was Mei's little grin and then Tiara realised that he girl didn't seem all that bothered that she had been captured.

"**KAIIIIIYYYYYAAA**" she yelled raising one foot and stamping down with all her might, the guy holding her recoiled and let go, she turned around and struck out her hand hitting in the face, before kneeing him in the balls. It wasn't exactly what Sasori had taught her but he did mention that if it worked, use it.

Hinata used the shock of the guy holding her to wiggle free and when she ran forward to get out of line of fire, Tiara was there to deliver a round house kick and knock the guy back, she stood back and smiled when the two grabbed their friend and limped away, they knew when they had been beaten.

Mei high fived Tiara before she randomly burst into tears as if the situation had just hit her, the fact that she had been grabbed by some weirdo. Hinata coo-ed and picked her up while Tiara suggested they went for ice cream as a self reward.

"Y-You really know how to kick butt!" Hinata smiled shyly as Mei nibbled her ice cream merrily, as if the day had gone perfectly. Tiara giggled and waved a hand in dismissal,

"Ahh, it was nothing, just a little something you know" the girl smiled embarrassed as she took a lick of her ice cream but Hinata wasn't going to let her push it away. It was amazing that she had managed to defend herself and them without freezing up and allowing them to have their way with her.

"N-No it w-wasn't n-n-nothing, w-where did you learn that?" Hinata asked with a blush and Mei nodded, she really wanted to know as well, it was really cool to see that a woman – a young girl – wasn't completely defenceless when she was outnumbered and sized.

Tiara blushed and looked down,

"My dad taught me" she admitted and Hinata frowned, Neji hadn't mentioned anything about Tiara's family and she knew nothing of them except the nasty rumours that her father was a drug lord and traded with other counties and was involved in highly illegal things.

Tiara smiled when she noticed Hinata's face and seemed to understand her thought pattern,

"The rumours aren't all true you know, my dad was a great guy, you may have heard that he was cruel and he raped me and all this shit but it isn't true" the greenette began to explain and both Mei and Hinata leaned in to hear more, this was pretty interesting.

"My mother left as soon as I was born, I won't lie my father was a junkie but he really did want the best for me, he was my best friend and he taught me all I know about fighting and the world and myself image and how to get what I want when I need it. He was involved in drug works but he wasn't the king fisher, more the guppy, the bell boy, the messenger" she had another lick of ice cream,

"He wanted to get out of it, said he wanted to be something that I could be proud of, but the king fisher's next job was for him to do a disposal job and well, my dad did it. He killed a guy and it ruined him, he did more and more drugs and it messed with his head. My daddy was gone and one night when he was acting more like the daddy I used to know he asked me to end it for him, he asked me to get the cops and get him taken in, so I did and last I heard he was doing well. Prison isn't nice he tells me but they're fixing him and that's all that matters to me" she smiled looking up at them.

Hinata's eyes were all misty ... that was so beautiful.

"I know I come off as bitch and I don't mean it but ... look at all the girls, you guys are gorgeous and I .. well I'm normal except for the puke green hair, I thought that if I was loose, the guys would pay attention to me and if I was mean then even if you guys hated me, you might actually acknowledge me" she admitted sadly and Hinata couldn't resist smiling.

"Tiara, I don't think you're plain, don't you see around you, there are people turning their heads to get a look at this beautiful girl. I only ever wanted to have friends, if you just let people see the real you, you may find that people would like you a lot more than you think!" Mei nodded.

Tiara looked unsure,

"I don't think I can do that right now Hinata but thank you, I will keep that in mind for the future, after all I won't be in Konoha forever!" she smiled and Hinata looked concerned but nodded. Mei suddenly piped up just remembering that Hinata needed to get a dress.

Looking at Tiara, she knew that she would have the right idea, when she explain the greenette smirked and pushed her chair back before flicking her hair, "I have just the place, don't worry Hinata just give me the money and Itachi will be knocked off his little cloaked feet!"

* * *

"Have a good day?" Itachi asked later that night and Hinata nodded as she carefully brushed her hair out, Tiara was definitely going to shop with her again sometime, the girl had an excellent eye and she definitely knew what suited Hinata and her frame.

Hinata smiled and turned to look at Itachi,

"Did you?" she asked back and Itachi looked surprised before he nodded back,

"Interesting to say that least." When Hinata looked curious he decided it wouldn't hurt to tell her a little more, his voice could use the work out and he didn't want her to think that he didn't want to share his day with her, he liked her and he wanted her to know about him.

"Well Deidara made these cookies ... cinnamon nightmares and he figured we should make some more but ....."

_**Hinata giggled as she listened to Itachi's story and she couldn't help but think of the day that she had had and the new friend she had made. She also couldn't help but be excited for the dinner, she could tell Itachi was ready to tell her something and she was definitely ready to listen. It had been a great girl's day out but she was sure there was more fun to be coming!**_


	18. Dinner For Two

**BloodyPinkRose - Blimey it has been a long time hasn't it, soz about that. So my apology includes three new re-vamped chapters. Thanks for all the reviews. I don't own Naruto! **

* * *

**Chapter seventeen: Dinner For Two**

It was strange how people always thought that time went quicker when you were excited for something. The three days seemed to rush past at light speed, she honestly couldn't really say what she had done those days; her mind was completely fixated on one thing.

She didn't know what she was supposed to expect or what to wear or how to act. Itachi hadn't told her anything, they could be going to a burger joint for all she knew. She giggled to herself and leaned back as the swing seat fell back down to earth.

An unsubtle cough knocked her back from cloud kookoo land and she found herself blushing as she dug her heels in the soft earth to stop the swing from propelling her back up towards the sky. Itachi had one perfectly sculpted eyebrow reaching for the skies while Mei was trying – and failing – to hide her giggles and smirking face behind her cupped hand.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she blinked her large eyes innocently as she removed her hand and Hinata's face was now flaming with her embarrassment. She must have looked like such a loser, sitting there swinging with her lovesick expression. _She was such a dweeb._

"O-Oh well i-it is n-nothing r-really. J-Just l-lost i-in m-my t-thoughts," she stuttered absently winging her hands around the swing ropes and digging her toes into the soft earth. When the two didn't let up their teasing smiles she frowned a little but the familiar sound of the ice cream van proved an excellent distraction.

"S-so how a-about some i-ice c-cream?" she asked hopefully and while Itachi seemed to understand the distraction as it was Mei jumped into the air, all teasing thoughts forgotten.

"Oh me, me, ME" she yelled grabbing Itachi and running towards the ice cream van, Hinata shook her head and ran after them, Mei was such a little cutie. When they got to the front Mei ordered a triple blackberry sundae with nut sprinkles and strawberry sauce, Hinata ordered a small mint chocolate chip cone with additional chocolate sauce and Itachi stuck to a plain vanilla cone.

Despite their piteous looks towards his unimaginative choice, he still thought that plain ice cream was the way to go.

The three of them sat down at the picnic bench and slowly ate through their ice cream, both Hinata and Itachi were amazed at how quick Mei could eat a triple sundae, the thing was almost as large as she was. When they were finished the trio walked across the park and stopped at the playing equipment where Mei made Itachi push both herself and Hinata on the swing.

* * *

It was touching six thirty by the time they got back, Mei had winked at her as she had been walked back to the house and she didn't fail to spot that little twinkle in Deidara's eyes. She was almost weeing herself; she was so nervous about everything. What if she dressed wrong or he didn't like her dress, she was just glad that the others had planned for an evening out.

She almost jumped one foot in the air when Itachi suddenly spoke into the silence as they drove on their way back, "Dinner starts in half an hour, will that be long enough for you?" he asked briefly taking his eyes off the road to gage her response and she nodded.

Hinata was worried as she slipped on the satin red underwear and matching bra, she slowly styled her shoulder length stumpy hair – not that there was much she could actually do to it - she applied make up and then reached for the ear rings, easily slotting them in. When she looked in the mirror she couldn't believe it was her and she wasn't even dressed yet.

That pretty girl staring back at her looked confident and worthy of anyone she wanted. This girl could turn the heads of many – although that would probably be because she was still sitting in her underpants!

Hinata pulled on the silky material of the dress and smiled, she hoped it would knock him off his feet. She slipped it over her head and let it fall down to her feet. She giggled, almost drunk on nerves and allowed herself to sway in front of the mirror, loving how the dress tickled her skin.

She couldn't believe that out of all the prettiest girls, it was her, _her _that Itachi had chosen to spend time with and not only did he want to spend time with her. He wanted her to understand him, she would get to learn things that people had only ever dreamed of but she wouldn't tell them! She wouldn't betray this great honour he would bestow on her.

While she danced she also couldn't help but admire Tiara's taste in dresses, this one was black with silver flames at the bottom. It was sleeveless and had a few fish net bits to it, around the neck where it was low and down her arms. The strange girl hadn't stopped there, she had moved on to choosing her out some black shoes that went well with the dress. It was a rather straight dress that went outwards into a fish tail.

Checking the clock on the dressing table, she cursed lightly at the slight lateness before grabbing her shawl and running down the stairs ignoring the clip clop her shoes were making, when she got to the last pair of stairs she took and deep breath and fixed her flushed complexion.

She may have been a klutz but she wasn't going to trip and end up ripping her dress, she would make Itachi see that she could be a rather graceful girl when she put her mind to it – key term being _when she put her mind to it. _– if she wasn't such a scatter brain she may have been a much more graceful person like her cousin.

Her face lit up when she saw Itachi standing there waiting for her, although not the vision of the perfect gentleman – for he was leaning against a pillar with his eyes closed and he was wearing pretty much when he wore last time – he still looked perfect to her, and that was all that mattered.

She walked to him and gently cleared her throat, carefully angling her face down to try and hide the blush that graced her. His eyes snapped open and he smiled softly as he looked her up and down, appreciating her form, he hugged her cautiously and when he pulled back Hinata noticed his cheeks had coloured.

She understood once she had seen that his eyes rested on the innocent black necklace, that lay against her slender neck, donned with silver jewels and a large pedant on it and as she move to open it Itachi hand hesitantly touched hers, making her pause to look at him.

"Don't open it here, I want you to only open that when you feel like you need someone. It sounds crazy but it was my mothers and it brought me a comfort that I hope it can bring you too one day," he murmured ruefully and Hinata smiled at him before pulling his hand to the waiting limo.

* * *

Hinata was confused when they were led up a rather rickety staircase up onto the roof, however any concerns she had were to be thrown away – as when did Itachi ever do things by half? – a private table had been set up with a beautiful view and a private quartet playing.

Her face was set alight when embarrassment when Itachi actually pulled out the chair for her to sit and then pushed it back in easily before taking his own place – let her previous thoughts of him not being a gentleman be shoved in the face –it really was a beautiful evening.

Not too cold with the wind gently caressing her locks. The stars bright and twinkling and the moon mysterious and full of promise, of things to come.

"Hinata do you know why I brought you here?" Itachi finally asked after a couple of moments silence, resting his chin on the hand of his bent elbow. Although not a polite way to sit, she found it just made him seem more mysterious with his deep eyes, half lidded and ... _deep. _

Hinata shook her head, after all he was the secretive type and she was hardly bold enough to ask him anything in fear that he might wake up and realise that he could get better from someone else. Itachi smiled – it was beautiful –

"I brought you here because I like you Hinata, I want to know you and I want you to know me, I do know so much about you and I am aware you do not know much about me so I want you to know that tonight I give to you, so that you can understand part of why I am the way I am," he said, she was flabbergast, whether because that was probably the most he had ever said to her or because of his smile or just because he actually told her that he liked her. It was mind blowing!

"W-Well then, I've a-always wanted to a-ask you, how you met the o-others," she began rather bashfully, as if expecting him to change his mind about allowing her to ask him any question that she wanted. Of course she wasn't stupid enough to go near the topic of his parents – yet –.

Itachi pulled a funny expression and briefly shut his eyes as if visualising the events, "It wasn't so interesting if that's what you thought," he opened his eyes to see her response and upon seeing that childlike curiosity that he rather liked about her he sighed,

"My father and I had a fight, nothing terribly different I assure you, I pushed him too far and he lashed out slapping me. Mother was crying, Sasuke was already asleep, you know how dramatic these things can get. So I left, being rather ... naive at that time I ran into gang fire and Deidara saved me. What can I say, after that we ended up back to back kicking butt and by the end Kisame thought my skills would be useful for them," he concluded with a rather blasé attitude.

Hinata was slightly miffed that he had missed out so many details but at the same time she couldn't believe that he had managed to keep such an indifferent attitude and that their friendship hadn't literally begun with a bang or something similar.

Before she could ask the next question they were interrupted by the waiter bringing them the starter course which they both slowly chomped through. Deciding that she didn't want to waste any precious time Hinata asked her next question, she couldn't believe that Mei had been with them since the very day that he had met Deidara and the others.

"O-Okay then, how a-about Mei-chan?" she asked quietly once she had swallowed her mouthful and he smiled wirily and his eyes took on a slightly glazed looked. He had of course known that that would have been one of the questions that she would have asked but that didn't stop it from taking him down memory lane, a rather ... painful place.

"If you're sure you want to know, I'll tell you but I warn you that Mei may seem like quite the innocent child but she was a part of something dark that we only saved her from because I was unable to look into those deadened eyes and kill her." he ignored her shocked look.

"Mei might not even be her name, we don't really know much about her, it was a simple mission. You know with gangs and everything; everyone always trying to best the others and gain more territory. I don't really understand what was happening as I was too new to be told much ..."

Screams of terror and the burning of flesh. The splattering of blood and other life liquids and the scattered corpses of many littered the streets. This was a very down scale area of town, Itachi in his naivety had probably never seen such a place and Deidara hadn't been without his complaints when it came from the top that Itachi was to join in his first slaughter.

* * *

"_Listen here kid, all you have to know is that you need to use those skills that you kick ass with and kill every single person you come across that isn't one of us. Leader wanted you with us to do that, he doesn't ever specify certain people, this should be an honour for you," the larger than life young man proclaimed rather gruffly._

_Deidara's lips pursed but he looked away, he wasn't stupid enough to talk against Kisame's conditioning, the new kid should have run when he had the chance instead of coming back. Anyone could see that he was a rich sod, he wasn't made for this kind of life._

"_So I just need to incapacitate them right?" Itachi asked rather innocently, although his parents thought him to be the bane of their existences, that was so rebellious and annoying to these young men he was such a pure spirit. However they knew that as long as he rolled with them it wouldn't be for long._

_Kisame grabbed his shoulder tightly, Itachi knew he would never forget the feeling of their large fingers digging into his collarbone and the small piercing eyes staring deep within his unmarred soul, "No kid, you aren't going to incapacitate them, you're going to kill them. You're going to slaughter every man, woman and child but most importantly one must be killed," _

_Itachi's eyes widened and Sasori snorted and waves a dismissive hand,_

"_If you can't handle the heat brat, don't play with the fire. In other words, keep the fuck out the way if you're just going to become a liability. You may think that you know how these things play out when you watch on your massive television screen but out there you're going to see the real thing, feel the warm blood splatter your face, if you can't do it stay here where you won't endanger us!" _

_Deidara was ready to open his mouth and tell the redhead to mind his own business, Itachi was already pale but now he looked pallid with a green tinge. His hands were clenching and unclenching, he wanted to show them that he wasn't who they thought – a spoilt rich kid – but he didn't want to be in charge of killing something._

_Stealing a life,_

_Deidara sighed, "It's alright if you can't do it Itachi, you can still hang with us, you just aren't ready yet, un," this however, rather than deterring the boy just made him more incensed to show them that he could do it, that he wasn't afraid of killing another._

"_I can do it, you'll see. I'll kill every one of them!" _

* * *

He hadn't lied, it seemed like he had gone through hundreds of people, cutting them down left, right and centre. The blood of many splashed him like he was the canvas and their blood was his paint. His mind screamed at him to just back out, run away but his hands worked as though someone else's.

His cursed eyes a mess of black and red, his fellow members around him causing their own destruction, some with chilling laughs as they gutted down woman and innocent children while others quietly got on with it. Kisame briefly called Deidara before touching his shoulder, impressed with how the boy was handling matters.

They hadn't made such a great blood bath in months,

"We can handle it here; you and Itachi get the targets fill him in on what he needs to know. With how well he is working he deserves to have this night as his debut. Leader will know that it was he who made this night possible," with a sharkish grin he was gone, his large weapon tearing into the skin of many.

The two had been surprised to see that the bedrooms, once lavish despite the run down state of the area had already been ransacked and bodies, cold and decaying already littered around. Whatever had happened, had happened a few days ago, they easily found the decapitated body of their target.

The site proved too much for Itachi, compiled with everything that he had seen and experienced and done that night, he bowled over – almost in half – and heaved and vomited everything that he had eaten that month, let alone day. Deiara wrinkled his nose but left him to it as he moved a little closer to check the condition of the body and make sure that it was who they were looking for.

The bathroom showed that their target's wife lying face down, her body mutilated almost beyond recognition, her knickers down round her ankles and her bath towel thrown over the top of her head, the blonde artist didn't lift it, he respected the dead enough to leave her be.

It was the small butterfly tattoo on the small of her back that helped to distinguish her, although even that was a little difficult to identify as it seemed as though someone had attempted to cut the pretty ink from her body. Deidara could almost hear his Danna muttering about the desecration of true, long lasting art.

Hearing the shouts of agony followed by the gurgle of death Deidara moved swifted back into the bedroom to search out his young friend, whom he had left puking his guts out – there were some things that you just didn't want to see – however Itachi wasn't in the main bedroom.

He cussed under his breath and ran through the expense of the upstairs until he came to a room, faced with the back of his young charge, who near had his arm rammed through the stomach of a half dressed middle aged man, who _had _been the only survivor they had seen at the time.

A mortified whimper stole his attention to the corner of the room where a curled up – was that _dog_? – being was clutching the walls, upon closer inspection he saw it was a young child, a little girl. Distrustful, scared pink eyes staring at the scene in front of her, her face dirty with unknown substances and bruised as though beaten.

Her purple hair was so dirty and lank that it resembled black string and the artist was vaguely reminded by the fact that Itachi, himself had a younger brother, with black hair and dark eyes. It was obvious what had happened or _nearly _happened to the girl and it was ironic that this scene was the one that affected the brunette the most.

Itachi threw the body of the man aside and rushed forth to cover the young child in his own cloak, she whimpered more, her eyes watching him but as though a dog that had been kicked too many times and thought it better to give up, she didn't resist him as he covered her up and picked her up.

"She can't come with us un, Kisame will just kill her and then kick your ass black and blue," but it seemed the stupid boy had made up his mind for he didn't bother to respond but merely walked around the blonde to leave the place. Deidara cussed again because he knew that not only would the girl and Itachi get it,

But he was also going to have his ass kicked.

The trio found themselves sitting an in abandoned park about a mile from the massacre; the best bet was the leave the scene. The child would slow them down and Kisame would know that if they had left then they were done and meet up would be back at the hang out.

Deidara loomed over the child and scowled, "Listen here un, you better do what we say or I'll gut ya un and feed you to Zetsu!" he threatened and the girl began trembling, Itachi sent a warning glare but didn't interfere, she would need to learn that she had to be pretty inconspicuous if she was going to live with them.

"Zetsu?" she murmured quietly and Deidara grinned, "Yeah, un! He's our live in cannibal and he _loves _children, their bones so fine he can grind them to a dust to make his bread!" Itachi snorted, gaining both their attention,

"Isn't that just the child's fairytale of jack and the beanstalk?" he asked curiously and Deidara pouted at being caught out. Surprisingly the little brat burst out into giggles and at once the tension between them all had broken.

* * *

"...well it also turned out that she didn't have a name, the daughter of our target. She had been used and abused as some sort of toy and yet I still don't know what attracted me to save her anymore than the others I saw killed. She told us her story and we called her Mei, she didn't really care much but over the years it seems to have grown on her." he paused to take a sip of his drink.

"So what happened?" Hinata asked, sickened by the story but at the same time eager for more, like the time you see a car crash and it's so terrible but you can't help but keep looking from some sort of sick fascination.

"Well Kisame did kick all our asses and Zetsu really did try and eat her, a few times too –" he resisted the urge to snigger at her goggle-eyed look, "- but everyone kind of just got used to her and well now you see her, she just seems like part of the family,"

_**The two continued their night out talking about gang wars and things that happened in Itachi's life by the end of the night Hinata couldn't help but think it, she was utterly and terrible in love with Itachi and there was nothing she could do about it.**_


	19. Itachi's Confession

**Chapter Eighteen: Itachi's Confession**

It was late when they got back and the others had obviously decided to spend the night out since they hadn't come back already. Neither of the duo were worried though, if Neji was with them then they wouldn't get into any sort of trouble, he was certainly too responsible for any craziness to happen.

It helped then he wasn't such a fan of drinking so it was rare to ever find him drunk and unable to take charge of a situation. Which helped if the group went to any places that were unknown to them, he'd be sure to take care of them.

Itachi led Hinata upstairs and they both changed into something more comfortable, after all it wouldn't do for Hinata to ruin the beautiful dress she had managed to acquire. Itachi just slung on an oversized hoodie over a pair of light sleeping trousers and Hinata put her shorts silk pyjamas on and walked to the railings where Itachi was standing.

"Itachi, how come you never let anyone see your hair?" she asked curiously, her stutter disappearing with her level of comfort in the situation and while she knew it was an odd question to ask, it had just been grating on her for so long she felt that she had to ask him before it turned her insane.

He turned startled and smirked at her after recovering; it wasn't exactly a question he was expecting, although he supposed he shouldn't have been surprised.

"I don't actively try to hide it, I just don't want dirty fingers touching," he told her with one eyebrow raised almost as if it were her he was worried about greasing up his hair. Hinata couldn't stop the giggle that left her coloured lips; if she was honest he had every right to be worried of her and his hair becoming friends.

They stood in the peaceful quiet for a while before Itachi sighed, he was tired of waiting for her to ask, everyone asked it at one point and he was almost concerned that she had waited so many months to ask him things that people that just passed him in the street who knew of the story wanted to know.

"Aren't you going to ask?" he asked softly, he didn't need to elaborate, he knew she would understand what he was talking about and when she blushed and turned away, he knew she understood well and truly. The little tomato girl felt ashamed that he had realised she still wanted to know. He didn't understand her embarrassment over the issue.

He sighed and shook his head lightly, "Don't turn away from me, have no fear in your curiosities, despite all you are still human and all humans have imperfections. If you still wish to know I will tell you," he spoke slowly and clearly as if carefully choosing his words.

She nodded and he inclined his head slightly before sighing deeply as if mentally preparing himself for speaking of things that he wished to forget. Hinata didn't want to feel bad for asking but she really wanted to know, she couldn't lie about that to anyone.

"I have no doubt that you heard from the others about Sasuke saying what happened the night I brought Mei home-" he paused and continued once she gave a little embarrassed nod, she couldn't help wanting to know everything about him that she could,

"-well from that night we left I didn't know my father had people watching me and when we got into some pretty dubious situations he decided that it would be more beneficial if I were out of the way, so to speak."

The frank way he put it almost had Hinata in tears, his voice was completely flat and monotone as if he had to completely detach himself in order to tell her what had happened to him. She almost couldn't bear to find out what else had happened to him if he had to become this detached to tell her.

She didn't understand how a parent couldn't love all his children equally but rather just see them as ways to further them in the world. She didn't understand how someone didn't think that Itachi was perfect just the way that he was.

"You don't have to lie, I know you saw the scars I have; my father paid to have me shot, it was to be a headshot but due to Kisame's fast thinking it hit my shoulder, Deidara got me out of there and Kisame took care of the assassin, the head was sent first class to my father's office in the post."

He clenched the railings tighter until his pale hands almost completely lost their colour, "I couldn't believe he would do such a thing, wasn't the Uchiha name soiled already did he have to prove what backstabbing kind of people we were? I had to know the truth so I went home I knew I had to end it .." he trailed off slowly and the silence seemed so thick.

* * *

"_Itachi come in and shut the door son, sit down on the bed and take that ridiculous cloak off" his father said with his hands behind his back like he was hiding something. Itachi did as his father asked though he was cautious since this was still the man who wanted to kill him whether he was his father or not. _

_Before he could even think of what his father could possibly want of him, stars exploded in his vision and he was knocked off the bed onto the floor. His hands braced him on the floor, as he panted trying to overcome the nausea he was feeling. _

_He felt the trickle of blood on his head but did nothing to wipe it away; keeping what was left of his concentration on his father standing in his peripheral vision._

"_Why the hell did you __**live**__? You were meant to __**die,**__ Itachi! You are the black sheep of the family just like Yuuka and Jet, thank gods Sasuke doesn't know them, no one cares about you, your mother doesn't care, she told me. She always prayed that she would love you but no motherly instincts came to her over you, they all came for Sasuke as did it for me" he said. Itachi's eyes widened as it finally ran true what his father was saying._

_He smiled rather sadistically,_

"_I suppose there is no need for me to really worry, you didn't die then but you will now!" he yelled and raised the object he used to clobber Itachi up, to gain enough strength to crack his skull. Itachi barely managed to avoid the steel pipe but was unable to avoid the series of blows that followed._

_He curled up tight to avoid his organs and head from sustaining the worst of the blows but after a few hits of the pipe he was incapable of holding back his cries of agony as his father was relentless in his attacking; coming from a military background his strength wasn't surprising, he wielded the pipe like an expert._

_A particular loud whimper had his mother rushing in and stopped dead at the sight that was brought to her. the blood drained from her already powder paled face and before she could even open her mouth, Fugaku's enraged eyes looked turned on her._

"_Sit down on the bed and shut up! I don't want to hear from you bitch, do you hear? Not even a peep or the same thing will happen to you!" he yelled, spit flying from his mouth, she ran to comply, shaking worse than a leaf and tears soaking her face._

_She watched with deadened eyes as her son was beaten and whimpered when he turned pained eyes to her, imploring for her help however she did nothing as though a statue unaware of the situation at hand. Fugaku smiled with sick enjoyment , like he knew this would happen._

"_She's already had her punishment for bearing me a useless son, she knows that unless she wants some of this, she'll keep her pretty little mouth shut! _

_Itachi realised in that moment, not only had his father completely lost his grip on his morals and sanity, he had also been drinking. He wasn't going to stop and unless Itachi did something, it wasn't just him who was going to suffer but his mother and maybe even poor innocent Sasuke, lost to his dreams._

_And that was something that he couldn't allow._

_When the next swing of the pipe came hurtling towards his face, he grabbed it and rammed it back towards his father, who clearly wasn't expecting it as he went sailing backwards and hit the floor, not wanting to risk any chance he had, gathering all his strength Itachi grabbed one of the knives from his belt and stabbed it into the gut of his father._

_Fugaku yelled out and blood splattered from his mouth and dribbled down his chin, but he didn't allow this grevieous wound to keep him down. He shoved his petite son away like he was an annoying bug and allowed the momentum to help him pull a few more pocket knives from his son's belt._

_Although built like a brick house, the agony of the wound was obviously affecting him as his aim was off as he threw them in Itachi's general direction._

_His mother shrieked when a few stray knives almost hit him and as though she was gaining years of maternal instinct she shoved her son out of the way of oncoming knives allowing her life to be taken as a sacrifice as long as he was safe for a little longer._

_Her piercing scream shocked the core of the two males and Itachi was doused in her still warm blood as she fell forward onto him. He had little time to mourn his mother as Fugaku completely lost it, screaming as he ran towards his son with the last knife in his hand._

"_If I'm going down you are going down with me, you little shit!" he yelled and not willing to allow himself to be another of his father's victims and for his mothers loss to be in vain, he too, ran towards his father intent on using just his bare hands if he had to._

_Within a blink of an eye everything was over, he was lying on his back, panting out of exhaustion and his father was lying next to him, eyes wide open and milky reflecting the lifelessness of death. Blood trickled from his wounds and slowly began to make a moat around him._

_A weak cough from his mother – whom he had long forgotten in the moment – had his eyes snapping towards her broken body and pushing himself to slide over to her, to see if there was anyways to save her, as not to leave his beloved baby brother alone in the world._

_He shook her a little desperately, a little hysterically and he could see the effort she put in to open her eyes just one last time for her first born son, she smiled, although it was more of a grimace and her once pearly teeth were stained with blood._

"_I ... I'm so ... so sorry," she wheezed, her slight body struggling to gain breath, Itachi hushed her slightly but she wouldn't be silenced. She had been silenced constantly all the years she had been married to that tyrant and she would no longer be silenced in the few moments that she had left._

"_My son, my d-dear son. I l-love you, protect y-your brother, Protect darling Sasuke, my only regret is that I c-couldn't see him once more –" she coughed a chesty cough and for a moment Itachi thought that was the end but still, she hung on showing the strength that a woman of her calibre would have to possess in order to live under the reign of his father._

"_-Don't let me see your tears, you should smile all the time like you used to when you were Sasuke's age, you used to be a little mister back then " tears trickled down her cheeks and she smiled in remembrance, "t-take my necklace and k-know ... that as long as you possess it I will be there for you and whoever you deem it fit to next have it," she smiled one last time at him and let out a strange sob as her body tried to gasp more air, then the light faded from her eyes._

"_Mother please, don't leave me, not yet! Don't leave Sasuke here an orphan, mother!" he said frantically as he fought in vain against the tears that so badly wanted to fall. He let out a strangled sob and screaming bowling over her body, cradling her close. The agony on the inside of his heart and the wounds he possessed pulling him under._

_The last thing he saw before the blackness took him was his brother's horror stricken face and his own mouth opening to scream in terror of the scene before him._

* * *

Itachi blinked as his eyes watered and he turned to look at Hinata who was staring at him, grief etched into her face and tears falling silently. He knew she didn't want to let them fall but was unable to stop that natural bodily response to pain and grief. She didn't understand why she was crying, she wasn't physically ailed and she didn't witness the chaos and yet she couldn't stop them falling.

Itachi hugged her and she only began to sob into his chest. She had wanted to know what he felt like and now she felt it, she didn't want to feel it anymore. She didn't want to stand there and know that he was feeling a similar way; she wanted to stand by him and take some of the pain away. She wanted him to feel light and weightless, like any other person his age did.

He didn't have a clue what was going through her head and all he could do was stand there and hold her while the tears slowly came to a stop,

"Hinata, that is why I waited as long as I did, I wanted to tell you as soon as I met you but I thought you would hate me, if you want to leave I understand and you can leave now" he said quietly, sadness and disappointment scarcely being held back, she looked at him glassy eyed and shocked.

"N-No I-Itachi I-I w-want t-to s-stay w-with y-you I-I d-don't w-want y-you t-to b-be s-sad a-anymore, p-please l-let m-me s-stay w-with y-you" she stuttered and he looked at her pale face illuminated by the star lights in the ground, "I don't want to hurt you Hinata, it's not safe for you to be with me, you know I'm dangerous" he said and she shook her head and buried it in his chest, her hands wrapped tight around him.

"I-I w-won't leave, y-you c-can't m-make me!" she said and he sighed and loosened his arms around her,

"Hinata I like you but you're my friend primarily and if anything ever happened to you, I would never forgive myself. You are the first person I have spoke this to I don't want anything to now happen to you, please" he said lightly pushing her away. Itachi couldn't believe he was doing this, he loved her yet he was so willing to let her go and put himself in more pain.

Hinata herself wanted to throw herself to the lions, she loved him didn't he see that, she didn't want him to push her away, she knew what she was getting herself into and she didn't care, she honestly didn't care. It didn't matter what happened. She wanted to be there for him for as long as she could. "Itachi, please just stop pushing me away" she blurted out and he looked at her shocked she never blurted things out.

"I don't care that you want me to leave I won't, I can't, Itachi I knew what I was getting myself into, everyone warned me but I didn't care. Itachi you're the only one in the world I care for so much that I would rather be thrown to a gang of rapists than be away from you, I didn't want to tell you yet but Itachi, I'm in love with you!" she said looking away then she backed off.

"There I said it and I don't want you to carry that past as a burden I want to share it with you. No matter what happens in the future!" Hinata shouted turning her back on him and falling to the ground where she cried into her hands. Itachi stared at her in shock, she loved him, she loved him, Itachi, the monster that killed his father and caused his mother's death.

He picked her up from behind and carried her over to the bed where he sat down with her in his arms and began to rock.

"I-Itachi l-l love y-you please d-don't hate m-me" she begged and he took her hands from her face.

"I know you love me Hinata and I would never hate you" he smiled at her one that was so closely real. "Hinata you are so brave and I want you to know although I can't say it yet, I care very much for you too!" he said as she looked up at him shocked.

_**Hinata pushed up and Itachi leaned down and the two of them shared their first couple kiss, one that showed their love and their pain. **_

_**Most importantly it showed that they were each now complete since they found each other!**_


	20. Love ,Lemon Chapter,

**BloodyPinkRose - Don't forget this is the third part of a three piece update so go back if you missed that. I don't own Naruto!**

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen: Love**

The new couple lay in the bed looking at each other, both swallowed by their own thoughts, Hinata suddenly had the want to run her hands along Itachi's chest and though she was sure it was very forward she went ahead.

She slowly wrapped her arms around him, tracing the rough scars she could feel. Itachi looked at her shocked, he said she was brave and now he really meant it, normally she would ask but now she was doing it on her own.

When he looked down at her she avoided his gaze and that's when he noticed she was still unsure about what she was doing so he hugged her back and put his hands underneath her night dress so he could do the same to her own back and he smirked when her blush became like a fire, he could feel the heat off her cheeks and they were bright red.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked seriously and she shook her head, not able to trust her own voice. She closed her eyes as his hands roared his goose bump covered skin, she resisted the urge to throw off her night dress and tried to concentrate on his own back but she was finding it hard.

She took off his bun net without meeting his gaze and watched as his silky jet black hair fell from the bun it was set in. He looked at her and laughed she just couldn't help herself.

He noticed as she stopped and looked at him in wonder and he looked at her in question and she broke out into a large smile,

"You just laughed" she said and he shrugged not getting her point, "You silly, you never laugh, you always snigger or chuckle you have never laughed, I like your laugh Itachi, you should do it more often." she smiled softly and he smiled back a little self consciously.

Hinata's attention went straight back to his hair and she almost didn't want to taint it, it looked so silky and too pure for her fingers. She didn't notice as Itachi took her hand and put a few silky strands of his hair in her hand and she smiled excitedly as she began combing it with her hands happily. He chuckled and rolled so she was on top of him and this time she didn't blush.

She looked him in the eye and relaxed on his chest. He stared at her right back and then he kissed her deeply. She was excited by the kiss and couldn't help but kiss hungrily right back and at one point she asked nicely for entrance to his mouth, he was shocked by her boldness once again but he let her in and the two of them tongue battled.

When they broke off Hinata was flustered and she felt funny, Itachi on the other hand tried to roll but Hinata wouldn't let him so he looked at her and noticed the hungry look I'm her eyes,

"Hinata we should stop now" he said and Hinata looked saddened but didn't move,

"D-Didn't I-I m-make m-myself c-clear, I-I w-want t-to b-be w-with y-you, I-I w-want t-to b-be y-yours!" she stuttered, unable to meet his eyes, as though embarrassed by the want that she was feeling inside and he sighed.

"I know but I don't want to hurt you, it's painful the first time, I don't think you are ready for it" he said and she shrugged again,

"Y-You w-wouldn't h-hurt m-me on p-purpose I-I know t-that, if y-you just d-don't want to, t-then I c-can w-wait" she said and he rolled over again so he was on top of her but not putting all his weight on her. He didn't look happy at her at all.

"I do want to Hina, you have no idea but I just don't think it's right" he sighed and she carried on looking at him waiting for him to finish, "You are too innocent, I'm corrupt, I killed my father and caused my mother's death, no thanks to me my friends family is dead and my older half siblings are in a coma in hospital," he said and she looked at him shocked.

Siblings? This was a new thing, no one had ever mentioned there being more Uchiha children and Sasuke would have told the world if he had more siblings than just Itachi. Although she didn't want to ruin the moment by asking and so she took it in her stride and took a deep breath.

"We shall go and see them tomorrow but until then I want us to do this. I am no more innocent than you are, I've seen and done things that I shouldn't have but I'm not afraid anymore, as long as I have you." she smiled, he nodded with a sigh and she grinned as she took his lips again.

As their tongues once again battled she closed her eyes and ran her hands over Itachi's body. She wasn't going to be passive after she had, had to work so hard to convince him to love her, like she wanted to be loved.

While he lifted up her night dress and tossed it to the side before running his hands over her back not wanting to push her too far. When they broke the kiss he smirked looking down at her chest,

"Looks like my favourite colours are rubbing off on you" he said still smirking and she bushed again,

"My aunt got them for me, I think you know her, her name is Tia" she said and he nodded.

"Yes I know her well, tell her when you see her that I say hi" he smiled and she hugged him.

"Now where were we?" she asked and he grinned and Hinata noticed his eyes had gone all sparkly. "

Now you are going to meet the Itachi, I tend to not show anyone" he smirked as he undid her clasp for her red silk bra. Hinata giggled when he looked happy and she agreed the real Itachi was locked inside, the insane one had come to play.

He propped her back up so she wasn't uncomfortable and he bent down in between her legs where he lent forwards and sucked one of her breasts, the other breast though was not excluded as his hand at once began squeezing and kneading as not to leave it out.

Hinata took a deep intake of breath and tried to clamp her mouth shut her, legs tensing and un-tensing.

She suddenly felt the need to release and she moaned throatily out loud and became mush Itachi smiled at her and kissed her softly and while her eyes were closed he slowly took off her silk underwear and inserted two of his fingers into her, she was tight but Itachi seemed worried he had hurt her. She was breathing deeply with her eyes closed and when she opened them and smiled for him to continue he did with no problem.

He pumped his fingers faster and faster until she screamed out with her orgasm, though he never stopped pumping though it was slower, she twitched and when it was finally over she blushed and brought his face to hers,

"I would like to pleasure you too Itachi, if I can" she said timidly and he smiled kindly at her and rolled so she was un top of him.

She blushed hot red, when she noticed the growing bulge and she was glad that Itachi had lost control or else she would have died seeing his clearly amused face, she slowly pulled down his boxers and wasn't fazed by the 'present' inside, Itachi wasn't huge but he wasn't small, he was the perfect size for her since they were both quite small and skinny people.

She delicately ran her hands up and down his length smiling as she heard him try and stifle his own moans, when he dripped a little pre cum she smiled and felt bolder as she bent down and took him in her dainty mouth. She gently sucked and she wanted to laugh as she watched his fist go white clenching and un clenching the covers.

When he came hard for her, she drank up every little bit of his cum and came up licking her lips before she felt herself being pulled down and covered by a quilt, when she looked down she was looking into her Itachi's worried but still somehow emotionless eyes, the Itachi she knew and loved was back!

"Are you sure you are ready for this, its time, I don't want to pressure you but if we do this making love then we are together right?" he whispered softly and she nodded.

"I'm ready for this, I'm ready for you Itachi, I love you" she replied truthfully her chest rising and falling quickly as she tried to catch her breath,

"Forgive me this might be painful at first" he admitted before slowly pushing himself into Hinata while stroking her hair, he could feel how tense she was and he couldn't help but worry that she wanted to stop. When he got to her maiden head he kissed her deeply and pushed hard and quickly into her.

She moaned at the pain but the kiss refrained her from crying out, he stopped so she could get used to him and she dug her nails into his already scarred back, Itachi didn't complain as he couldn't even relate to how it was she was feeling at that moment. When she relaxed Itachi slowly pulled out and looked at her, she was breathing deeply and sweat rolled off her forehead.

Before he could even talk she had opened her eyes tiredly and looked at him in confusion, "I-I d-don't understand am I-I doing s-something wrong? W-Why did you stop?" she asked shyly as her breathing returned to normal.

"You aren't doing anything wrong you just seemed uncomfortable, we can try again if you wish" he said seriously and she nodded hesitantly as her body tensed just as he was about to enter.

He stopped at kissed her forehead softly, "You need to relax or else it will be uncomfortable for you" he whispered into her ear and when she sighed and relaxed he entered again and started moving within her slowly, when she started to get the rhythm she moved with him and found herself wanting more than he was giving her,

"I-I-Itachi….faster!" she breathed and he smirked amused by the way she tried to pushed against him harder.

When he finally complied she was in ecstasy, she was moaning loudly into the air, his name on her lips, not caring others might hear their love making and Itachi's face was in her neck as he kept fighting the urge to moan out like she did so openly. Hinata suddenly felt different as she came hard,

"**ITACHI**!" she screamed into the air as he, himself groaned freely for the first time and continued to move in and out slowly as their shudders came to an end!

Itachi collapsed on top of her and she smiled at his own sweaty face and body, "is it uncomfortable?" he asked and she shook her head half lidded before kissing him gently. Without pulling out he turned them on to the side and pulled the covers over their bare bodies.

Hinata snuggled up close to him, her legs wrapped around him and she smiled at him happily that she had just done what she had always dreamed with someone she loved.

"I love you Itachi" she whispered up at his peaceful sleeping face and she smiled and closed her eyes happily that the boy who was once so troubled had trusted her enough to open up to her and tell her of his deep trauma filled memories that he hadn't told any others! Soon the in-love couple soon fell asleep in each other's arms both filled with peaceful dreams!

_**What they both didn't know was that their other friends had come back and heard their love making and they all smiled happy that the boy who was way too troubled for his age had found a girl who was rejected for who she was, though she found love in everything. That night everyone went to sleep with happy dreams!**_


	21. Older Siblings Part One

**BlueStereo** - I know, I know name change and where the hell have I been. I'm sorry I did my a level exams and started university this year and I just hate it so I'm back, nothing like writing a good lil number to make the days go faster eh. I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty: Older Siblings Part One**

Delicate eyelids fluttered open as the rays from the sun shone down; Hinata sighed lightly and turned over, groaning slightly at the feel of the cold bed besides her rather than the partner she knew had been besides her the previous night. Still half asleep her lip stuck out slightly and her eyebrows furrowed although her eyes had once more fallen shut.

It was the slightly dark chuckle and the opposing quiet and yet melodious laugh that caused her to freeze her position. She recognised at least the dark chuckle to be that of her bed mate however the other ... she sat up and gasped clutching at the silken covers as she saw that both her dear cousin and dear lover were watching her curious beginning to the day.

The two had obviously been speaking and had not been up for chatting for too long, although Itachi's side of the bed had cooled considerably; her cousin was in his nightwear which his soft locks brushing against his uncovered chest. She had never seen him look as relaxed as he did in that moment and she couldn't have been happier to see the moment that her serious cousin relaxed.

Once it seemed apparent that she was finally fully waking up the two young men nodded at each other respectably and then Neji left, not wanting to disturb the two now that his younger cousin had awakened. Itachi left his place and walked towards the young lady with a decisively evil look on his face.

Hinata barely had the time to react before her world was thrown into chaos, laughter bubbled up and flowed from her mouth as Itachi tickled her, it was so unlike the 'him' she had first met but she could easily see it being an action the old trouble free Itachi would have taken.

Once suitably punished, her torturer walked past her red faced, panting form and walked into the bathroom where he began to make the preparations for his bath by selecting his bath milk and setting the taps to a decent temperature before he began to fill the tub.

Hinata knew that as their holiday was coming to an end Itachi would want to see his siblings and in a strange way, so did she. She wanted to know everything there was to do with this strange, mysterious and yet completely captivating young man.

Soon after he had actually entered the tub Hinata, gathering her wits trudged in, recovered from her aching sides. She sat on the edge of the large corner bath and glared at the culprit who; when she realised hadn't noticed her enacted her revenge.

And so the foam war began,

Once again the room was filled with sounds of Hinata's shrieks of laughter and Itachi's chuckles as foam flew from opposing sides. The battle ended, with both sides losing valuable assets but Hinata just simply couldn't keep stoic at the amount of foam that coated Itachi's face regardless of the unimpressed expression he was adopting.

As they settled the mood grew sombre, the thoughts of what was still to come keeping hold of them both and not letting go. "This morning," she hesitated looking down at her devoured nail buds, she didn't want to cause trouble but at the same time, she wanted to support him the best way that she could. "Was everything alright? You seemed; you s-seemed troubled," she finished nervously.

Things may have been different but she was hyperaware that this was still Itachi she was dealing with, and although the mood had been light and friendly. He wasn't going to change overnight and the constant questioning may begin to get to him. Goodness knows enough people had questioned him.

"Jet and Yuuka ... it has been a long time since we've seen eachother and regardless of whether they are awake and well or not. Things won't be the same between us, I was never close to my family except Sasuke but before him; I had them but ..." he trailed off with a sigh.

Hinata stayed quiet.

It wasn't long before he began to speak again; speaking was all seemed to be doing these days. Explaining and exploring different things that had happened.

* * *

"Itachi, darling, just sit right there while mummy runs to grab her daily organiser from the kitchen, I'm pretty sure I had the silly thing at breakfast. Anyways don't touch any of mummy's things and keep quiet because daddy is working just next door and you don't want him to get mad if you get nosey!" Mikoto called absently as she lightly jogged out the room.

Itachi may have been extremely bright for his age but he was still a six year old child and he happened to be a six year old child with an exceedingly sweet tooth. He also happened to know that his mother kept a bowl of his favourite candies around here somewhere.

It was just a matter of finding them and eating them before she got back or he got caught.

As he bent down to rummage in the large cupboard by the wall he didn't notice the shadow overhanging and before he knew it, he was banging his poor head as he was lifted out of the cupboard by the back of his expensive shirt. Only to see the furious, disapproving face of his father.

"What is this? I come in to check for a few papers and I see a little weasel stealing from his own mother?" his dark eyes flashes dangerously and Itachi whimpered pathetically from where he dangled in his father's arms. Of all the things to happen, this would have been the one thing he hoped wouldn't.

He struggled to get down and stopped instantly when those flashing eyes darkened even more. He was dropped and his hand grabbed roughly, he barely had the chance to find his footing before he was being towed along like a misbehaving truck being taken away.

"That woman is way too soft on you boy! You show promise but promise alone isn't going to get you anywhere in life, you need to learn the harsh reality!" he snarled as he strode towards the backdoor, Itachi's little legs struggled to keep up but the imminent danger of being left outside; the one place his mother had forbidden him due to the large size seemed to leave him forgetting his struggles to keep up.

"You stay out here and see what it's like to fend for yourself with no mother or father to protect you. Maybe when you see how much you need us you will cease with this pathetic behaviour,"

The child was shoved outside and the door unceremoniously slammed behind him. Itachi called and shook the door but the large structure had been made to withstand fully trained intruders let alone a tiny child. When his strength tired, he sat down with his back to the door and pouted, trying hard to fight off the threat of tears.

He was six years old now, he was a boy and boys didn't cry like the girls at school did when their hair was pulled. So what he was locked outside, he hadn't been out there before, although he was the type that enjoyed staying inside during school playtime he couldn't deny that just sometimes feelings the wind in your hair and the sun on your face felt nice.

He stood up and stuck his tongue out at the door, glad that no one was there because obviously he would be punished. His father did not take kindly to that sort of subordination. He squinted to look around the large space but all that he could see was green and bursts of colours from plants carefully planted by the staff.

In the vague distance he felt the gaze of something ... of someone. He frowned to himself and began walking in that direction. He knew that their family had staff but funny enough he had never actually managed to meet any although he may have seen some in passing.

They never looked at him or smiled or even acknowledged that he was there. To feel that gaze ... it was different, as different as being outside in such a large space before. His mother had spoke worriedly about how dangerous it would be for him to go out there alone and that her wardrobe couldn't afford to be ruined by frolicking outside with her young son.

The closer he got to what he believed was the correct direction, the further from his house he was and soon some outhouses that he had only ever seen from inside the house, so small looking from the large windows and yet as they were moving closer and closer into his range of vision they weren't as small as they had appeared.

It was hot and he had no idea how long he had been out when he reached a small central point in the garden, a small fountain sat upon grassy cobblestones; spurting water from a dolphin tip. There stood a girl, older than him watching him with a strange smile and sat upon the fountain was a boy, reading.

Itachi blushed, overcome with a shy feeling and looked around for a place to hide but the pretty girl – she looked so much like him, he didn't understand – smiled and beckoned him over to her. Slowly, slowly he walked towards her. His mother had always told him to be careful of strangers but she wasn't that old and she was in his garden.

She couldn't be a stranger ... could she?

"Are you lost?" her voice was like an angel and Itachi grinned and ran the rest of the way to her. He was always desperately lonely in such a large house and with stifling parents, well his mother was kind but she was also a busy lady and she couldn't play with Itachi all the time. He had his baby brother, but he was still just a baby and Itachi wasn't allowed near him.

"No silly, I live here!" he proclaimed loudly, like the girl had just told him a funny joke or something,

The girl exchanged a look with the boy by the fountain. Itachi wasn't so sure how he felt about the boy; there was something strange about him. There was something strange about the whole situation and yet he didn't feel threatened by their presence, there was something familiar about them.

"You live here?" she asked again and he nodded,

"I'm Itachi Uchiha!" he beamed and she nodded as it all came together in her head. She didn't need to look at the other boy to know that he too understood the situation. This here was their younger half brother, well ... one of them but they didn't hold hope of ever meeting Sasuke.

When the silence dragged the little boy frowned, "You didn't tell me your name, mother says it isn't polite not to give your name when someone else offers theirs!" the girl giggled and the boy looked amused, Itachi pouted until the girl bent down so she could be on level with him, rather than looking down at him.

She knew that the poor boy would have got enough of that, living in that large house, with that man.

"I'm Yuuka and that boy is my brother Jet; he doesn't speak much so don't mind him." She frowned at a mark on the little boy's wrist caught her eye, "That's a nasty bruise there, did you fall?" she asked curiously. Jet's attention was also gathered by this comment.

Itachi looked down and shuffled his feet, he didn't like to talk about his bruises and his father didn't like it either. The repercussions for such a thing ... thankfully no one had ever asked and so he had never made the mistake of saying anything naughty.

He didn't want his father to get mad at him again. He was mad enough.

"I fell," he mumbled

Yuuka grabbed his chin and lifted it carefully with a soft smile that made his insides warm up.

"It's alright Itachi, I understand, I used to fall a lot too," she nodded when Itachi's eyes flew to look at Jet, just to make sure that he too either believed that he had 'fallen' or knew how he had fallen. The little boy shook his head from the moment and looked at both the two other older kids.

He may have been young but even he could see they looked alike. Sure while he had darker raven hair, Yuuka and Jet had a light shade, it was easier to see without the sun that their hair was not black. And their eyes were not as dark as his but a grey chalkish colour.

"Are you...?" he trailed off and Yuuka giggled again,

"My, you are a smart one aren't you Itachi," the little boy beamed at the praise, "Yes, Jet and I are you're siblings but we have a different mother to you and your brother, that's why we live down here. Don't you ever feel alone alright, we may not be with you but we love you and we know what you're going through," she hugged the little boy close to her chest.

He may not have understood what she was trying to warn him about but he could feel the emotion in her words and the warmth in her hug that she was sincere and did care about what happened to him. He felt safe with her, a feeling that was much too fleeting for a child such as he.

"So, you finally met him did you? Think you could poison him against me?" Itachi froze in his half sister's arms and began to tremble at the sound of the cruel voice. He didn't understand why his father seemed to be being so mean to him that day. Wasn't this what he had wanted?

Jet was standing in front of his half brother and dear sister within seconds; he knew the score of encounters such as this. He had not been a child for a long time; he knew what his so called father was capable of despite his title of being their primary carer. He may have convinced other than their mother's death was an accident but he knew better.

"He is just a boy, he doesn't understand what is happening here? Besides you were the one who tossed him out here of course we were going to communicate. Mikoto wouldn't let her darling son outside, forewarned by her 'caring' husband that their first born son may be hurt by the dangers in such a large estate" Yuuka's tone was no longer sweet and happy but dry and sarcastic.

Her arms had tightened around the child and her eyes had narrowed upon surveying this man. It broke her heart to know that she was going to have to give Itachi back to him, knowing what would happen to him inevitably, more and more falls especially as Sasuke grew older and become more and more cherished.

"Hand the boy over. This was all I wanted, for him to see what happens to those who aren't good children and do as their told. I'm sure this has been a learning curve for him now Itachi come here," Fugaku was no kind in his calling of the boy which of cause didn't win him the response he expected.

But he was only a child and there was always ways to get children to do what you wanted when they didn't understand how manipulation worked.

"If you don't come here Itachi you'll never see your brother and sister again, I'll make sure they have a terrible fall and go to the hospital like you did when you broke your arm. Your mother may also go away for a long time to punish you for being naughty! Naught boys don't get to have mother's," his sneer was particularly mean and his siblings didn't move especially when the little boy began to cry.

He didn't want them to get hurt; they had been nice to him. They had made him feel safe in his home and turned a scary situation into a friendly one. He didn't want anyone else to get hurt like he did or have to go to hospital and have to lie about what happened.

He pulled away from his sister, trying to see through his tears and yet not wanting to see her sad expression at his bravery. His little fist briefly squeezed at Jet's trousers before he stumbled towards his father. His mother had always said that if you cared about something, you had to protect it even if it hurt sometimes.

Fugaku grabbed the back of the little snot's collar and jerked him to one side, " Well this has been fun hadn't it, a lesson for us all I think. That I should never be disobeyed and that the repercussions would be more than any of you are willing to pay," he grinned before shoving his younger son forward and walking after him,

Leaving the young girl tearing and her brother gently grasping her shoulder.

* * *

" ... it seemed that my father hadn't wanted my mother to let me out so that she didn't find out about them. They lived in one of the large outhouses back there and they had done since my mother and father married. I didn't see them for so long after that but whenever I looked outside, I thought of them,"

Hinata was horrified, were none of his memories nice. Sure she had heard of people who had truly lived hellish lives but to finally meet someone who had seemed to have such a damned existence. It was, rather humbling for her; it made her thankful that she had people like her aunt who strove to stop bad things happening to people. Just the way she had by taking Hinata in and by attempting to help Itachi.

"I still don't know how they ever got round to leaving that place but when I next saw them, it was after the time I had got in with Deidara and the gang."

_**As Itachi finished his story he watched as Hinata had carefully absorbed all of what he said like she always did and he felt a pang of pain in his chest, soon he would have to make decision and he knew it would be hard! **_


	22. Older Siblings Part Two

**BlueStereo - **this is way different to the original chapter so I hope you like it, I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty One: Older Siblings Part Two **

"S-So do you know what you're e-expecting?" Hinata asked nervously as she held the large bouquet in his arms. She figured that it would be a nice touch for Itachi's siblings whether they were awake or not although she didn't know that much about the situation yet.

Itachi's eyes left the road to survey her before he nodded, "Jet is awake, Yuuka is not although according to Deidara, the doctors are hopeful that it should be anytime now; she's doing well," he replied before returning his gaze back to the road although his hands tightened on the steering wheel.

The silence lasted the rest of the journey, it want exactly tense but it wasn't exactly comfortable either; both considering what they were going to see when they arrived. Once they arrived and parked; two fairly painful ordeals they made their way to the visitors desk.

Hinata marvelled that such a place existed as a hospital; it looked like a five star hotel but then again. Knowing Itachi and the money that he came from of course he could afford to take care of his siblings with the best possible treatment and accommodation out there.

"Can I help you?" the young lady at the desk asked brightly, Hinata couldn't imagine what she was thinking, seeing two teenagers coming along but then again she supposed that considering that she knew several privileged young people such as those she had come on holiday with and the type of establishment they were at, the young lady probably wasn't surprised in the slightest.

"We're here to see Jet and Yuuka Uchiha; their long term patients of yours," Itachi replied and the young lady grinned and jumped up as though excited.

"Yes, yes! Another young man called to say that we should be expecting the sibling of our two long term patients today. I guess you must be Mr. Uchiha? Well the two haven't had any visitors yet although the young man frequently calls. I'm sure Jet will be most delighted to have visitors with Miss Yuuka still comatose and his rehabilitation well . . ." she trailed off going slightly red when she realised how she had been ranting, "I'm sure that he will be happy to have some company,"

She led the way, and although she had dropped the topic of the Uchiha siblings, she had continued to chat about the day and the weather in a quick flurry. Hinata; knowing that Itachi wasn't going to answer her was quick to attempt to answer the lady's musings and rambles.

"Well here we are," she grinned breezily as she knocked once and then opened the door with a master key, "we had to move them from their previous accommodation of course with Jet now mobile but we believe that this is a much better living arrangement taking into account the care details that you left Mr Uchiha. Enjoy your stay and take as long as you like, just be sure to stop by the desk to sign out when you're done,"

Hinata was pretty sure that it should have been illegal to be that cheerful but then again considering how much the patrons were paying, including Itachi, she should have bloody sparkles coming off her in waves of happiness or dancing the tango down the corridors or something.

* * *

The first thing that occurred to her was the brightness of the room, it was like the atrium of a holiday suit where there was a master and then another room both locked so that they could be separate rooms if wanted. Both doors inside the atrium were open.

The ceiling had the most spectacular stained glass window and the atrium had a lovely centre piece of flowers. One thing was apparent; this was the sort of hospital for people was an extremely deep pocket. Not that she was alien to such things considering the family that she herself came from.

"S-she mentioned specifications, w-was there p-probblems?" Hinata asked curiously as they walked through one of the open doors, really it was sort of ridiculous how long the corridors were considering this was in fact a hospital and not a fancy hotel.

"Not really, Jet and Yuuka spent a lot of time in the garden and outside, so I thought that it would be prudent to make sure that they stayed in accommodation with maximum light considering that they couldn't actually go outside themselves." Hinata nodded but before she could ask any more questions they came to another open door with a large bed and a young woman lying on it.

She was gorgeous despite the amount of bandages covering her, the slight bruising and the fact that she was asleep. Hinata could almost believe that she was a real aged sleeping beauty without the ailments and the medical equipment obviously keeping her alive.

Itachi rushed forward and gently grasp her hand in shock; it was one thing knowing the fact of your beloved relative and another to actually see the consequences. Allowing him a minute, Hinata busied herself with fixing up the flowers they'd bought and placing them on the table in the corner of the room.

She tried not to listen has Itachi lowered his forehead to Yuuka's pale hand and began to mutter litanies under his breath. She wasn't surprised that his somewhat indifferent mask had been cracked upon seeing his frail comatose sister. That was something enough to get anyone.

Obviously the sound of their arrival had caused stir and they both turned around upon hearing a slightly clearing of a throat. When they turned around they were graced with the presence of a twenty two year old looking young man. Hinata didn't even have to guess who he was.

The resemblance between the two Uchiha's was almost as uncanny as Sasuke and Itachi if one took away the colouring differences. In fact apart from the differences in colouring the two were virtually a copy of each other. Although Jet was taller and more filled out than Itachi as well as paler; if that was even possible.

Both Uchiha male's eyes widened when they fully processed who they were looking at, it was so uncanny it was like a mirror image.

"Jet?"

"Itachi? You're here?

They stared at each other in silence and Hinata scuffed the floor with her floor slightly, she couldn't help but feel slightly out of place. Of course them being boys, she was obviously going to have to get the ball rolling before they spent the rest of the day staring at each other.

"And I'm H-Hinata, nice to m-meet you. S-since you have things to t-talk about I shall be s-sitting in the a-atrium," she stuttered, her face aglow before she rushed out the room at neck breaking speed. As predicted that had certainly snapped them out of their stupor if not because it was just adding to the surrealism of the situation.

"Who was that?" Jet asked curiously, his voice still slightly husky from disuse as he led the two of them towards the set of chairs near Yuuka's bed. "Did she even speak sense just then?" he asked as soon as they sat down. Itachi couldn't stop the smirk that graced his face.

"That was Hinata, she's a little skirtish around people she doesn't know. She is my girlfriend I guess," Itachi admitted, it was very strange to be calling her that for the first time. He didn't really think he would ever get to a place in his life where he could have a girlfriend. Jet sent him a knowing look as if knowing his current train of thought.

"How come you are here? Last thing I knew was that you were whisked off somewhere and no one was allowed to contact you," it was probably the most that Itachi could remember Jet saying but then without Yuuka to communicate his wants, he probably had to speak for himself a lot more.

"It is a long story but basically, my being here would be cutesy of Sasuke and his tricks although I can say that this one wasn't as; painful shall we say; as I believed that it would be. Deidara told me what happened when we met up although he only mentioned that you were conscious when this morning," Itachi replied and Jet smirked and rolled his eyes,

"Typical of that blonde, he doesn't come here but we are in frequent correspondence. In fact we spoke this morning and he didn't mention that you were coming but he did mention that there would be a special surprise arriving at some point today for me," his smirk turned into a soft smile as he surveyed his brother, "I guess he wasn't lying."

The two watched each other before it was too much for Itachi: The holiday, his friends, the situation, coming to terms with what had happened to him and Hinata. He lunged at his older brother and curled in close to his chest, the familiar scent and the warmth calming him down and chasing his fears away.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry all of this happened, I'm sorry you had to suffer; both of you."

Jet was surprised by the sudden explosion of emotion but he wrapped his arms around his brother knowing that this kind of release of his emotions was healthy. Itachi kept way too much things bottled up and this was the first time that Jet had seen him lose his cool.

Itachi had always been too serious a person. This must have been a response of this so called girlfriend of his and she must have been special to have crawled beneath Itachi's chainmail amour and root herself deep within. Jet wanted to meet this girl, properly.

* * *

Hinata was attempting to causally make tea in the kitchen, goodness knows how she managed to find it but she was clearly very taken by what she was doing. The two brothers leaned on the doorframe as they watched her hum softly under her breath as she tinkered around the kitchen.

"You know, this Hinata girl . . . she really is something different isn't she but then again I guess you wouldn't be with someone who didn't have some sort of understanding or wasn't special," Jet said quietly not wanting to rouse the girl's – lost in her thoughts – attention. Goodness if she was skittish as Itachi said and playing around with hot water she'd probably scald herself.

Itachi nodded,

"Yes, Hinata's parents were like father, she 'fell' down a lot. One day she ran away and I guess through a strange sequence of events here we are. She was one of Sasuke's friends but she is so different to those shallow fools, she is timid in herself but she believes wholeheartedly in her friends. She'd do anything for those she cares about,"

Jet nodded, understanding the reference to their own childhood. This girl, reminded him a lot of their sister Yuuka. Maybe not in confidence as Yuuka had that in abundance – perhaps to a detrimental level – but in spirit.

"Does she not remind you of Yuuka?" he asked in return and Itachi looked startled, his eyebrows furrowing as he considered the question before he nodded and then looked slightly spooked out. Not only in spirit but there was almost a sort of physical resemblance.

Jet nodded too,

"We don't really take after her but our mother was from the outskirts of the Hyuga family. I don't need to do much more than look at Hinata to know that she too is from that prestigious family. Yuuka takes after her a lot more than I do, I seem to be more of the Uchiha side"

The two were interrupted from their little conversation when Hinata turned around with the tea tray and almost dropped it when she saw the two young men standing by the door comfortably as if they had been there for a long time. Itachi rushed forward to grab the tray before she scalded herself while Jet smirked.

Perhaps it would have been better to announce their presence . . .

Hinata and Itachi spend the better part of the day at the hospital and only left when the sun began to set. They had a lot to do and Jet still needed to get his rest. Too much excitement in one day couldn't be good for him after all, he was still recovering.

"Will you come along when we leave? It would give you the chance to get out and also see the others." Itachi said looking slightly to the left of his brother, not wanting to give away how much it would mean to him for Jet to be a part of his 'sending off' party.

"Of course and when Yuuka wakes, we'll come and visit you. Now that we know that you're alright and where you are nothing will keep us away. Too much has kept us away from each other," they smiled at each other before Itachi walked out.

Hinata turned to follow when Jet lightly grasped her arms,

"Take care of him, he needs you. No matter what his choices are. Your feelings are part of what matters most to him," he rasped quietly and Hinata's eyes flew to his face but in that typical Uchiha fashion, his face would give nothing away about what his real thoughts were.

Her eyes narrowed slightly and he stepped back, taking his arm off of her and then, he did the most peculiar thing. He smiled at her and she couldn't help but think that she had seen that smile before. Memories flipped through her mind as she tried to place it but she was called to attention by Itachi, considering he had pretty much walked off and left her.

Knowing that the girl was a klutz he wasn't going to let her find her own way, she'd probably get herself locked in a caretakers closet or something.

* * *

On the way back Hinata couldn't resist resting her hand on top of Itachi's idle hand. She understood what Jet had said to her and she could see it as true. She was going to do what she could for Itachi and she would give up anything and everything for his happiness.

It was about time that someone cared about his happiness enough to sacrifice their own.

_**Hinata soon fell asleep before they got home her head resting against the window and a smile on her face her hand still on her boyfriends, her dreams filled with all the good memories and experiences she had had during the holiday and she couldn't wait to come again sometime. She was excited about the prospect of seeing Mei and the others again and even meeting this Yuuka she had heard so much about in the future!**_


	23. Sacrifices

**BlueStereo - **and voila, here is the last chapter and I can say that I am so glad that I'm done. It was extremely difficult to edit this when so much of it just screams amateur Oh well we all have to start somewhere right. Thanks for all the support guys and those who read both this and the original version. I hope this one is better. The sequel won't be coming back sadly, this one truly needs to be put to bed I think. Thanks for everything guys and I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Two: Sacrifices**

Itachi sighed and tapped on the window while his eyes watched the passing surroundings, the day had finally arrived; their summer break had finished and it was time for him to leave. Although his chest hurt in a way it hadn't before because as much as he knew that he should go back, now that he had Hinata and friends that cared. It was just, this was and always had been his home and his friends and siblings here, needed him more than anyone else.

His memories and his family legacy were here. He was done running away from it all, that life wasn't for him Sasuke may thrive off the chance to start again but he had been young and in a way he just didn't understand what their ruined childhood had been like and how screwed up it was.

Hinata . . . she had saved him and he was grateful but he wasn't so sure he was grateful enough to follow her when he knew that although the heartbreak may be stifling to begin with she would be okay with the support that their friends and her family would provide her with.

Hinata herself wasn't stupid either, she understood that Itachi was beating himself up about it but she also knew what his final choice would be. He wasn't going to pick her; it wasn't even like there were two choices. He was simply doing what he had to. She knew it didn't mean that he liked her any less; just sometimes things just weren't meant to be. It didn't mean that they wouldn't have their chance some other time and she was willing to wait for him.

She rested her head on his shoulder, not surprised when he didn't look at her. They were already in transit and while her friends smiled and laughed around her somewhat happy to be going back home she just couldn't conjure up more than a little sad smile.

It didn't matter though, she was going to be strong and she was going to support him even if it felt that her heart was being crushed. Sometimes it seemed that if you loved someone enough you had to do what was right for them and let them go.

* * *

'_Now calling ...'_

Itachi paused and turned around when the group jeered and began walking towards their called gate, Hinata watched him carefully and slowly drew her own walk to a stop. Her heart beat wildly in her chest, so hard she could almost swear the pulses would be seen. She knew what he had to do and if he wouldn't do it by himself, she was going to have to insist.

Neji frowned when he didn't see his cousin and Itachi following and soon the other's too stopped by the gate looking confused at why no one was going and why Itachi was surveying the crowds as if waiting for something or someone to join them.

"Hurry the hell up! At the rate we're going they would have already left and then we'll be hearing about this forever form the rest of you" the familiar red head grumbled as the groups multicoloured presence showed up through the crowds of people trying to catch their flights.

"Goddamit Sasori! If you don't stop saying that word I swear _you'll _be hearing about it forever from me!" Itachi couldn't hide the smile at Kisame's smile while Hinata giggled to herself, that group just couldn't stop their antics even when in public.

Neji figured out who they were while the others looked somewhat confused. It took Sasuke a while to peg due to how young he was when he met them and how the traumatising times were buried deep in his psyche but when he did he scowled.

When Mei's eyes met that of her beloved Itachi she let out an almighty shriek and ran at him like a child who had just seen Mickey Mouse in Disneyland. "You waited, YOU WAITED!" she yelled much to the chagrin of passing people, her arms punching the air as she was lifted up into pale but strong arms.

Hinata ruffled the girl's silken locks,

"Of course we w-weren't going to leave w-without saying g-goodbye!" she told the girl, although somewhere deep, deep within she almost hoped that they had, she could see that Itachi had been waiting for them and if they hadn't, she might have been able to keep him by her side just that much longer.

The groups merged together all speaking but not mingling until Mei and Tiara both rolled their eyes. Boys would always just be boys, never wanting to just take that extra step further, always sizing each other up in macho-ness. Well they were going to change that.

"I'm Mei, the meanie face is Sasori, the giant fishman is Kisame, the girly boy is Deidara and the guy that looks like 'Tachi is Jet; who are you guys?" Sakura and Ino coo-ed over the girl's cuteness while the guys continued to size each other up but nodded in respect.

"I'm Tiara, the pinkette is Sakura, You guys know Hinata, the guy with similar eyes is Neji and next to him his girlfriend Tenten, Ino is the blonde, Shikamaru is the lazy sod by the window. Fuzzy eyebrows is Lee, whiskersboy is Naruto and the girl he is talking to is Chihiro," once more the groups nodded but this time as they chatted there was a somewhat tense truce as they attempted to mingle together..

As they stood there, time seemed to stop for Itachi. He looked at the faces of all of those around him, Sasori's bored and yet somewhat bothered face, Kisame's just plain worried face, Deidara and Mei play fighting and yet there being something sad about it. Jet and his face was somewhat knowing as he looked at his brother, as though he knew what he was thinking and what he was eventually going to do.

Then there was Hinata, wonderful, caring Hinata. Her shy smile and yet the tight corners of her lips as though she was trying to hide back the melancholy that she was feeling within and that's when it pegged him. She knew, she knew what he was feeling and she thought that she already going to lose him.

When that beautiful pale face turned determined he finally understood, it wasn't that she thought she was losing him, it was that she was trying to be strong in order for him to do the right thing. The thing that he had known all along that he should do but didn't want to.

... he still remembered what he had promised them ...

"_Alright then, goodnight Mei," as he turned to leave the little girl grabbed his hand to stop him and when he turned back in question he was almost barrelled over by the emotion and seriousness in her eyes. One so young shouldn't have such a look in their eyes._

"_You have to promise," she began and he took a seat at the edge of her bed, it wasn't worth her ending up with a bad neck, goodness knew she'd milk it for all it was worth when morning came by._

"_You have to promise to stay with us so we can be a proper big family and live together forever and ever! You're like the Kisame is like the head of our family and you're like the mummy but you control everything!" he blinked and smiled at her as her eyes grew heavy and began to drop._

_However even with imminent sleep she refused to let go of his hand,_

"_You have to promise!" and the moment he did as she wished she let go. He felt both tied to that promise and freed by it. That no matter what he would always have a family with these people but at the same time, he was never going to move on from them. They were his responsibility and he was going to make sure that they were cared for._

"_You know un, she may not understand what she is really asking but we do and she is telling the truth. Without you un, we are weak and aimless," _

_Itachi barely paused as he walked past the blonde leaning against the door, _

"_I know . . ." _

He gently grasped her hands, pulling her away from the conversation she was engaged in with Mei and Tiara. When her eyes met his, he understood that she knew what he was going to say but she was going to let him say it. Whether it was because she still had hanging hopes it wasn't as she suspected or because she wanted him to admit it to himself, he wasn't so sure.

"You said you _love_ me? And you're willing to support me?" he hesitated, stumbling over the word and when she nodded, he drew her into him, in a soft embrace. He wasn't one for public affections but there wasn't much time and he felt that she had least deserved this if she was going to let him leave.

"Then you understand why I can't go with you? No matter how I feel about you, there are things bigger than us that I have to work out and deal with before I can give you what you deserve and that might take a long time" he whispered and it was like there was no one there but the two of them. Hinata felt her eyes cloud with tears but blinked rapidly to hold them back.

"Of course, and I'll wait," she smiled shakily, "No matter how long it takes, I'll be waiting for you to come back to me."

He backed away from her and nodded at both his brother and Neji. Neji moved to stand by his cousin, understanding the situation fully. He had come to admire Itachi as something close to a friend. Sasuke didn't pretend to know what his brother was up to and neither did he care but he understood that he was no longer running.

Whatever that entailed.

Itachi lightly boffed Mei's head to make her look up at him; and smiled,

"Let's go home,"

The same sentiment was hushed between the group travelling back home and they all smiled at the strange new group they had met before they began rushing towards the ramp all wanting to get the best seats.

Hinata turned back just before she was to enter the ramped area and despite the pain in her chest she couldn't hold back the smile as she watched the guy she loved surrounded by his family, it may not have been her happy ending but it was _a _happy ending.

Besides this was only her teenaged life right . . .?

And like she said,

She'd wait,

No matter how long it took.


End file.
